Devine Intervention
by Aphina
Summary: Bombings, stabbings and bent cops. Carmen Devine could handle that. But babies, undercover work and evil lawyers? Follow the next stage of Carmen and Flack's life as the balance parenthood with crime fighting.
1. Chapter 1: 18 Months On

**Divine Intervention**

**AN: ****Let's start by saying "Hey!" to everyone whose reading this, old readers and new! If your new this is a sequel to another fic I've written called Simply Devine. If you were already a reader of the previous fic. Welcome Back!**

**A special thanks goes to _Sparkycsi_ for being a fab beta, I couldn't write this without you! _Axellia_ Thank you for tapping into the movie voice and creating my blurb, also for the little plot details we discussed! last but not least thanks _Maddie Bellows _for aiding me with her research!**

**Anyway all this picks up eighteen months after Carmen Devine and Don Flack's baby has been born. Enjoy!**

Chapter One

_If I had a million dollars, _

_We wouldn't have to work that hard._

_Barenaked Ladies – If I Had 1,000,000 Dollars_

The phone was ringing off the hook, the stench of burnt toast was in the air, and I had to change my blouse for the second time already and it was only eight am.

"Don, I really can't get that right now!" I called out loud as I watched Thomas flail his tiny fists around, a musical giggle spilling from his mouth. I guided the spoon full of cereal towards his mouth, which Tom had decided to firmly clam shut. I saw Flack dart towards the phone, his tie in one hand and a stuffed octopus in the other.

"Come on Tom Tom, open your mouth for Mommy," I said gently, trying to persuade Tom to take another mouthful. He opened his mouth allowing my spoon into his mouth for another bite of honey nut hoops.

"Well done Tom Tom. Now let's get you cleaned up." Somewhere along the line of feeding time this morning Tom had managed to shower us both in a mixture of milk and honey nut loops. I undid the straps of the high chair. Tom already knew from the past routine that this meant he was about to be picked up.

Eighteen months after being born Thomas Benjamin Flack still had his father's fine dark hair and my dark green eyes. His skin was soft and pale. At the beginning when we'd brought him home Thomas had literally screamed solidly for hours on end, right up to the point where I thought there was a real possibility that I might actually go demented.

It was Flack who, days later, in the midst of trying to give me a little bit of peace decided to take the baby with him to do laundry. After propping the baby chair and screaming Thomas against the dryer he was surprised to discover that the noise actually stopped. As it turned out the vibrations from the dryer sent the cranky baby straight to sleep. Which was the ultimate relief, resulting in the purchase of a vibrating baby chair.

"We have a problem." I raised my head to see Flack replacing the phone on the handset. I closed my eyes for a millisecond, and then expelled a deep breath. Thomas was reaching for Flack, his little emerald green eyes wide.

"Come here buddy." I handed Thomas to Flack; his arms encircled Don's neck making me smile with contentment. Thomas could be an absolute handful but it was all worth it.

I crossed my arms over my chest as Flack kissed Thomas's cheek gently. Thomas erupted all smiles.

"The babysitter can't make it." It's amazing how those simple words can put you in an absolute panic as I started listing possible candidates to mind our child.

"Your parents?" I said stepping into the bed room to pull a royal blue shirt over the white strap top I was wearing.

After Thomas was born, a lot of the weight I had gained whilst I was pregnant had stuck to my body.

To me my body was important, not just for vanity reasons but for my job as well. Being pregnant had made my body more fragile and with the extra weight it created an imbalance I wasn't used to.

So before I returned to work, I managed to recruit Cory as my gym buddy and I began to get my body back into the shape it had once been pre-pregnancy. Which was a lot harder than it actually sounded.

Cory Reid was an FBI agent we'd all become mutual friends with. The rest of the team had known her before due to a previous case relating to the Mala Suerte and a gang member with a personal vendetta.

I'd met her when mine and Flack's wedding had been interrupted by ex IRA terrorists attempting to blow us all to hell. It was best to say that mine and Cory's first meeting was not a happy one. Yet after getting to know Cory and have her share the case with the NYPD we became firm friends. She was even a bridesmaid at attempt number two of mine and Flack's wedding.

Another problem I had begun to suffer with was stretch marks, I had developed them towards the end of the pregnancy and I thought they'd shy away when I'd actually given birth to Tom. Let's just say I was very wrong.

Despite the fact Don said he didn't care about the stretch marks I found that I, in fact did. Fortunately I happened to have Stella close to hand. After listening to me whine continuously about how bad my body looked, she actually went and treated me to a tub of cocoa butter cream. Within months the vibrant stretch marks that had marred my body disappeared, leaving fine traces of what they once were. I was unbelievably grateful.

"My parents are out of state, remember they're celebrating they're wedding anniversary in Vermont." Don reminded me. His electric blue eyes were fixed on Thomas as the baby reached out for his nose.

How on earth could I forget that? We were at they're party the other night.

"Ok and your sister Maria is working…What about Taylor?" I suggested meekly.

Flack's head swivelled towards me, shooting me a disturbed frown.

"Yea…The ghost thing." I recounted, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Taylor Turner was a close friend of ours who was a crime columnist for New York Daily, she also saw ghosts. Now I'm a scientist, always was, always will be. I didn't believe in ghosts until one actually picked up a mug of hot coffee and threw it at my head. After that I really had no choice but to believe she was really seeing ghosts. My faith was enforced when a ghost of Taylor's led me to a particularly evasive suspect.

Unfortunately Taylor had no control over when a ghost would make an appearance and was prone to rushing around in a bid to do everything she could to help the spirit cross over; she also had a busy schedule without the ghosts to complicate it. Plus her and Matt had just taken the next step in their relationship, they were moving in. Due to the nature of both their jobs though, she was moving her stuff into his apartment bit by bit.

The nature of Matt and Taylor's relationship was an anomaly. The two were complete opposites. Matt was fiercely organised where Taylor was scatty. Matt was practically a master chef, he baked everything from muffins to full multi-cultural dishes. Taylor was completely the opposite; she could barely microwave something without the kitchen going into some sort of full scale meltdown. Despite their differences I was glad that they had both found each other. Matt needed someone who could make him laugh and Taylor needed someone who was going to be in the background supporting her if needs be. Together they were a wonderful combination.

Back to the question in hand, who was going to look after Thomas?

"Everyone else we know is working." Don said, shaking his head as Thomas grabbed for his hair saying "dah dah" over and over.

I slipped past Flack and grabbed for my coffee mug, taking a long swig.

"I literally have no one else in my head who can take him." Thomas' head turned to me. He was now putting his fist in his mouth.

I put my hand to my head exasperated.

"I actually think we're going to have to actually take him in with us." I exclaimed, shaking my head. I was never, ever going to be happy with the idea of taking Thomas into the crime lab with me.

"I hate to actually take him in though. I just don't think its right for him to be around the stuff that we deal with." I told Flack. Don was now attempting to wrestle loose his tie from Thomas' tight grip as gently as he could.

"I really don't think that's any other choice Carmen." Flack muttered, still attempting to coax Tom into handing over the tie.

"I'll call Mac." I sighed, picking up my cell and dialling while Flack did battle with the wailing toddler for the safe return of his tie.


	2. Chapter 2: Then and Now

Chapter Two

_Looks like we made it  
Look how far we've come my baby  
We mighta took the long way  
We knew we'd get there someday_

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"  
But just look at us holding on  
We're still together still going strong

_Shania Twain – Your Still The One_

The crime lab was a hive of activity as I walked quickly down the corridor, balancing Thomas in one arm and a bag stuffed with toys, diapers and multiple foods for throughout the day.

"Hey, how's my favourite little guy." Danny exclaimed, a huge smile spread across his face as he stepped towards us.

"Da!" Thomas yelled, waving in Danny's oncoming figure. Danny ruffled Thomas dark hair softly, whilst the baby tried to grab at his glasses.

"He's getting big now, aren't you kiddo." Danny said dodging out of the way of Thomas's grasping hands, his hands firmly on his glasses keeping them in place.

"The sitter's sick, so I had no choice but to bring him in with me." I told him as Danny fell into step with me as we walked towards our offices.

"How are things going in world of Danny and Cory, hear you guys went to see the game last night?" Danny shot me a grin and I already knew how well the night had gone.

"Oh you're grinning like a fool Messer." I teased as Thomas stared around the crime lab, taking in the sights. I kept him close to my chest. As I said, I hated having him in the lab.

"She's amazing Carmen, I can't believe how happy she makes me."

Danny held open the door to my office allowing me and Thomas to slip past. He followed me into the office, taking the bag from my shoulder and setting it on my desk. I put Thomas down on the chair across from my desk. I unzipped the bag, pulling numerous items out of it.

"I'm just glad you two eventually got it together, I understand the space thing after Lindsey but the tension between you two was killing me." I paused, glancing at Thomas who was now making a whining noise, indicating he was bored.

I took out a small pack of crayons and a few pieces of paper and set them down in front of him. Danny scooted Thomas's chair further forward so he could reach the items. He knelt down next to Tom and helped him pick a colour to start off with.

"You call Lindsey?" Danny asked without looking up. I settled into my chair across from them. I began to sort through the files on my desk.

"I tried…she said she doesn't want me to contact her anymore." I told him distantly, flicking through the paperwork in front of me.

"I suppose that's to be expected since she informed me that she didn't see a point to mine and Don's marriage." I reminded him in monotone. I didn't have to add that she'd picked up and left him with absolutely no word of her leaving.

"That's Montana for ya, she's always running from something." To my surprise his tone wasn't bitter, it sounded like a matter of fact.

"Besides you got this little guy now, and your real family's all standing around you." Danny pointed out, pointing at another colour for Thomas to choose. Thomas's face lit up as Danny handed him the colour green.

"He likes the green doesn't he?" Danny grinned looking up at me before straightening up to his feet. He had an indecisive look on his face. I set the pen I'd just picked up back down again.

"What?" I asked suspicious suddenly.

"Nothing. I just didn't expect to ever see you as a mother; it just surprises me that you fit into it so easily." Danny said blushing a little. I gave him a warm smile.

"It is not as easy as it looks, trust me." I told him honestly. I found myself staring at my son with a adoration. He was still colouring in a tree shape Danny had drawn in blue.

"Looks like it's worth it though." Danny remarked as I glanced back up at him.

"It is. There is no feeling like it in the world. I'm just glad that everything went alright and he's bright and healthy…" The sudden instant ring of my beeper interrupted me. A second later Danny's followed suit.

"Crap." I cursed, before pursing my lips as Thomas looked up at me with curious eyes.

"Come on spud." I said picking up the little boy as Danny chucked a few things back into the bag.

"We're going to have to leave him with Flack." I said as Danny swung the bright blue bag onto his shoulder and followed me down the corridor.

"I just hope he's not with a suspect." I muttered, walking as quickly as I could towards the elevators, Danny in tow.

--------------------------------

Flack's floor was swarming with burly detectives when we stepped off the elevator. I was already crowded by several detectives, admiring the son of the newer NYPD legend.

"Ok guys; give the poor little guy some space to breath." Don exclaimed breaking through the crowd of detectives.

Thomas was in his element at all the attention he was getting. Upon seeing his father stepping into view, he attempted to launch himself out of my arms and literally at Flack. I managed to tighten my grip in time so he was unsuccessful.

Thomas's little red face scrunched up as he began to wail, causing the throng of detectives to take a collective step back. I rolled my eyes and handed Thomas to Flack, Thomas clung to his father's neck, burying his head in his shoulder.

"Hey." Don murmured, holding Thomas close as he leaned into to kiss me.

"Hey. I have a call out. I'll pick him up when I get a chance." I said unable to keep the smile off my face as Don's lips brushed mine.

"No problem, we'll have lots of fun, won't we little guy." Flack kissed Thomas's forehead as Danny dropped the baby bag next to him.

"Hey Messer, when are you and Cory gonna make a playmate for Thomas here." Danny responded to Flack's comment by punching him in his arm.

"Come on Messer, we gotta get going, we're already late." I told him, before reaching over to kiss Don gently.

"Be good." I called as I began to walk away.

"I don't think he understands that concept quite yet." Flack snorted to my retreating back.

I grinned at him over my shoulder.

"I meant you."

**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!**

_Bluehavan4220: Thanks for the review! Thomas won't be in the lab a lot at all. I decided it would be unrealistic to have him being cared for in the lab a lot, due to work regulations and Carmen's own preference. She doesn't want him seeing the thing they do. Thanks for telling me it was believable; I wanted to paint a picture of what mornings were like in their household._

_Kaitlyn143: lol fingers crossed this one is as good as SD! I'm working as hard on this one as I did on the other one. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review._

_Forest Angel: Nice to see you around again! Lol I'm glad you got a feel for the chapter and how their lives all moved on._

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for the review. I could not do this story without you lol. Anyway I sent you a mail back about what I think you should do about DV. I wanted to get that point across so I'm glad it wrked!_


	3. Chapter 3: The Taste Of Crayon

Chapter Three

_The phone rings in the car_

_The wife is working hard_

_She's going to be late tonight again_

_I know what I've been told _

_You have to work to feed the soul_

_But I can't do this all on my own._

_I'm no superman_

_Lazlo Bane – I'm No Superman_

Flack was watching his son closely as Thomas put one of the crayons towards his open mouth. They'd been sitting at his desk for the last thirty minutes and Thomas had done this twice already.

"Thomas…" Tom's forest green eyes were on him, wide and questioning as he halted immediately, the yellow crayon an inch from his mouth.

"What did I say about crayons?" The crayon was inching towards Thomas's mouth still. Flack reached out and slipped the crayon from Thomas's hand and put it back in the packet.

"It was definitely not eat crayons, despite the fact the orange seems to be missing…" Flack said curiously studying the desk for offending crayon. His hand brushed past some papers Thomas had been colouring in, finding half of it.

"Thomas…where's the other half?" he said holding up the crayon for examination. It appeared that there were teeth marks. Flack stared incredulously at his son for a second, before spotting a tell tale orange fleck at the side of Thomas's mouth. Flack stood up rushing to the other side of his desk, before kneeling down next to his son.

"Tell me you did not eat an orange crayon!" Flack clasped Thomas's chin gently.

"Open wide for Daddy, go "aw"." Flack demonstrated for the little boy, before Thomas did as he was told.

"Flack? Are you practising your drug checking technique on your son?!" Gus asked incredulously, hands on her hips frowning. Flack was spot checking Thomas's teeth and seeing tiny orange bits marring them.

"It appears my son has eaten an orange crayon. I'm kind of wondering how I'm going to explain this to Carmen." Flack told her pulling away as Gus picked up the package for the crayons, and scanned the back of it.

"Well they're not toxic, so no harm there." She confirmed. Flack let out a sigh of relief at her words before returning all the crayons back to the box and slipping them back into the baby bag.

"I think that's enough crayons for today." He remarked, as Thomas began to grumble.

"Good thing I brought something for the little guy." Gus flashed Flack a warm smile, as she dropped down besides Thomas and took a small carton of orange juice out of her bag.

"Since we're going with an orange theme today…" she also took out a lollipop. Thomas grasped for it excitedly.

"He is allowed lollipops?" Gus checked just to be on the safe side. Flack rested his chin on his hand.

"He's already eaten a crayon today; I don't think a lollipop's going to do him any damage." Flack responded, feeling slightly relieved that the blond detective was taking charge for a few minutes.

Flack had met Gus over two years ago when she'd first arrived in New York as a therapist. Over the months they had fairly little contact except through Carmen who was Gus's patient at the time. He was surprised to hear after returning from a leave of absence after the baby was born that she had been made Detective and that he had been chosen to break her in.

The first few days were a little cold between the two of them; Gus didn't like being asked personal questions, so it made Don unsure how to talk to her. It wasn't until they'd been partnered two weeks that Gus had broken the ice a little between them by sharing a little about her life.

As their partnership progressed, they had begun to bond and a sturdy friendship was born especially as she had now been adopted into the team and was becoming a permanent fixture in all they're lives.

Then, the scandal about Mac had blown up; at first it was rumours. The two had been sharing a meal or two, or leaving the building together. Questions were beginning to set in about their relationship and about how Gus had acquired her status as Detective. Eventually after a lot of shunning and barbed comments by detectives towards Gus, she erupted telling them the true nature of her and Mac's relationship.

She was his niece on Claire's side.

Fortunately this put a halt to the rumours that her and Mac were doing the dirty but it didn't dispel the general feeling of distain towards Gus. Both Stella and Flack had snapped a few weeks ago when they heard a group of detectives discussing the benefits of having Mac in the family, and told them exactly what special treatment Gus had received. None.

Since then animosity towards Gus had calmed down to an extent, but it was still there under the surface. To be fair Gus bore the brunt of the situation well. She always had her head held high and snarled back when provoked.

"Erm Flack?" Flack looked up from the paper he was writing on at the sound of Gus's voice. She was attempting to wrestle something from Thomas's hands as Thomas opened his mouth and let out an almighty roar. Gus drew back holding up a blue crayon triumphantly as Thomas began to cry.

"How many of those things has he got?" Flack exclaimed dodging around his desk and picking up his son, whilst Gus inserted the blue crayon back into the pack.

"I think we're safe." She drawled after counting each crayon. Flack breathed a sigh of relief as Gus handed Thomas a dummy, which promptly shut him up.

It was at that moment both pagers erupted with nose causing both Gus and Flack. Thomas had now lapsed into silence and was happily curled up in Flack's arms.

Gus took her pager off her belt and checked it.

"Homicide, the Bronx…" she muttered.

"Grab the bag." Flack said, his hand resting on the back of Thomas's bag. Gus slipped the bag onto her shoulder and followed Flack towards the exit of the room.

One of the detectives opened his mouth to comment as she swept past.

"You open your mouth Fraser and I swear you'll find this bag shoved so far down your throat…"

"Broussard." Flack called from the doorway. Gus growled before leaving the room.

-------------------------

Thomas was almost asleep by the time Flack erupted into Stella's office breathless.

"Stella…can you?" Flack paused to breath. Stella gave Flack a warm smile, raising to her feet.

"Pass him here." Stella opened her arms to Flack and took Thomas from him. Gus dropped the baby bag alongside the door.

"Hey Gus, you still up for beers tonight?"

"Sure, Ray's?" Stella nodded her response as Thomas slipped his hands around Stella's neck and rested his head on her shoulder.

Flack leaned over and met Thomas's tired gaze.

"You be nice to Stella ok?" he said pointedly. Thomas closed his eyes.

"Looks like I got the easy shift." Stella said to them both.

"All that crayon eating probably wore him out." Stella raised her eyebrows, before Flack waved goodbye to both of them and led Gus from the room.

_**GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Charmedgrays: lol well I thought he would be the new NYPD hero, following in his dad's footsteps and all._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm glad you like Thomas, he is adorable. I'm glad you like the match of Cory and Danny. They are so sweet together._

_Sparkycsi: lol I thought that would be a fab reaction for a bunch of burly detectives. Lol the image was really predominant in my head. Thanks for taking a look at nine for me._

_DyingAngel1: lol I love the idea of a naughty Flack!_


	4. Chapter 4: Babysitters

Chapter Four

_I thought I was a fool for no-one  
Oh baby I'm a fool for you._

_Muse – Supermassive Black Hole_

"Hey don't forget to call Cory, when you get a minute." Danny shouted down the corridor as I rushed away quickly after closing the case. I grabbed my phone and pressed speed dial four, automatically dialling Cory. I put the phone to my ear, as I practically ran down the corridor to the elevator, jabbing the button for Flack's floor.

The phone went straight to voicemail as I stepped from the elevator.

"Hey Cory, Danny told me to call you, you must be busy with something I'll catch you…" I trailed off, staring at Flack's empty desk. I flipped my phone closed.

"Where's my son?" I growled at the nearest group of detectives, hands on my hips.

"He got a call out, him and Broussard skedaddled out of here, Junior in tow."

"Tell me he did not take our baby out on call?!" I narrowed my eyes.

"Took who on call?" I jumped, hearing Flack behind me. I spun around to face him.

"Thomas…" I muttered, seeing Flack and Gus were baby-less.

"I would never take him on call with me." Flack said wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I know…" I ran a hand through my hair.

"I'm just worried, I hate having him here, and I hate leaving him here." Flack wrapped his arms around me.

"You worry too much. I left him with Stella and he was falling asleep last time I checked." He kissed my forehead. I relaxed, before pulling away.

"I'm pretty much off shift now, I'm going to pick up Thomas and then go home." I told Flack, letting out a deep breath.

"I've still got a few hours work here I think." Flack groaned. I gave him a small smile.

"It's no problem. I'll bath him and you can put him to bed if you get in early enough." I said softly. Flack flashed me a dimpled smile.

"I will be looking forward to it, let's hope he stays asleep tonight." Flack whispered winking. I felt heat rush through me. I gave him a knowing grin.

"I'll catch you later Detective Flack."

-------------------

I rapped my knuckles gently on the door to Stella's office before stepping in and smiling warmly at the sight in front of me. Stella was perched at her desk studying files on the computer concentrating, whilst Mac was cradling Thomas's sleeping form against him, a book resting on his lap.

I leaned in the doorway watching them and enjoying the sight.

Mac glanced up and met my gaze.

"Hey." I murmured stepping into the room. Stella's eyes rose to me and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"How'd the case go?" I shrugged, stepping into the room closing the door softly behind me.

"Same old, same old. We caught the bad guy so everything's right in the world for the next few hours." I told her. Stella moved around her desk and took the open book off Mac's lap giving him leeway to rise to his feet; Thomas still huddled in his arms. The tiny boy didn't even stir.

"I think you guys wore him out for the day." I said quietly. Mac handed Thomas to me, as Stella began to return various items to their rightful place in the baby bag.

"You think the sitter's going to be ok tomorrow?" Mac asked me, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked thoughtful. I noticed over the past few days he's been looking tired.

"I hope so." I told him, looking down at Thomas. 

"I really hate bringing him to the lab. There's too many distractions and things that could damage him."

Mac nodded his agreement.

"The lab is definitely no place for a child." I caught the meaning there.

"I don't intend to bring him in the lab again unless I have to, and besides, he misses Uncle Mac, you haven't been around lately." I saw Mac begin to open his mouth to respond, but I continued with an understanding smile.

"Don't worry. I know the lab's busy right now. There's a lot of politics floating about from what I hear and you have your own family stuff now, but don't be a stranger. I've seen more of Gus than I've seen of you recently." Mac nodded before speaking.

"I'm free Tuesday." He said simply.

"I'll see you on Tuesday then." I said, tilting my head as Stella stepped towards me, the baby bag in her hand.

"He's been fed, and changed. So you just go home and relax." I gave her a grateful look.

"Thank you so much, for everything today. I have no idea what I'd have done without you two." I told them honestly. Stella helped put the strap of the bag onto my shoulder.

"It's no problem. He's pretty good for his age; he hasn't hit the terrible twos yet." Stella assured me. I rolled my eyes.

"I am so not looking forward to that." I confessed, moving towards the door. Mac patted me on the back, in a fatherly fashion.

"I'm sure you'll be able to handle it."

"I damn well hope so."

**GOTHAM'S HEROES! READ IT!**

_Sparkycsi: lol Ch40 was awesome by the way, sent it back straight away this morning. Thanks for the review, lol I could just see Thomas doing that, I was wondering how Flack would react, the first q in my head would be are they toxic?_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I wanted to show a bit more of life with Thomas and how everyone responds to him. I think babies just tend to out everything in their mouth at that age._

_StokesSandersSpeedle: lol I'm glad you like it, it's always nice to see a new reviewer. I liked the idea of Flack being a father and wanted to explore it further._

_Mauradingknight: lol is that good or bad?_

_Charmedgrays: A few answers to your questions. Thomas is 18 months old. Mac and Stella will eventually get together but it will take a while. To be honest I don't really like Lindsey as a character in CSI: NY, she just annoys me and she's a poor replacement for Aiden._


	5. Chapter 5: Time Out

**Firstly thanks to all you guys who keep adding me and my story to your alerts and favs. Even if you not reviewing at least I know your there. So thanks! Secondly, thanks to my marvellous beta Sparkycsi, (esp for making Cory more Texan!)**

Chapter Five

_But I cannot forget  
Refuse to regret  
So glad I met you  
Take my breath away  
Make everyday  
Worth all of the pain that I have  
Gone through_

_Maroon 5 – The Sun_

The Italian restaurant was buzzing as I crossed the threshold, my eyes searching the tables for Cory's auburn head of hair. I shook off the snowflakes that were stuck in my hair from the December weather as I spotted her sitting alone at a table near the back, already flicking through the menu. I darted through several gaps between tables and chairs and dropped into my seat, still shuddering from the cold. Cory looked up from her menu, her hazel eyes drifting to my face, as a smile spread across her pretty features.

"Finally managed to break away form the hustle and bustle of the lab?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Between Flack, the baby and crime, I'm a little overwhelmed at the minute, especially with Christmas coming up." I returned as I picked up a menu in front of me.

"Thing's seem to be pretty busy at the FBI." I commented. "It took me two days to get hold of you."

Cory rolled her eyes.

"You know how it is, organized crime picks up around the holidays, you'd think they'd all be spending it with their families. Plus, I'm helping this new guy Jacobson whose just transferred to the department. He's pretty eager." She remarked. I chuckled at her comment.

My attention was diverted to the menu as I caught sight of the waiter lingering near by.

After receiving our drinks order, I settled back into my seat and watched Cory for a second.

"So how are things with the wayward Mr Messer?" I grinned, taking a sip of my hot apple cider. Cory blushed a little before tilting her head graciously.

"They're good, I'm just glad he's serious about our relationship, I was a little nervous about being a rebound for Lindsey but a year down the line and he keeps surprising me."

"I think Lindsey was a rebound of you leaving the first time." I pointed out. Cory shrugged before hitting her forehead with her hand.

"I can't believe I haven't invited you yet." I shook my head in confusion.

"I was thinking if you and Flack don't have plans for Christmas Day, you could come on over to mine. There'll be wine, I'm cooking dinner so all you have to do is relax, and leave Thomas in the company of Grandpa Mac." She paused for a second as the waiter placed our food in front of us. I picked up my fork and took a bite out of my Seafood Linguini.

"Mac is coming, obviously, as is Stella, and of course Danny, Gus and Taylor. Matt's helping me with some of the cooking." Cory said after chewing some of her food, and pointing her fork at me.

I couldn't stop beaming at her.

"I'm sure Don will say yes, so I'd love to come. I'll let you know when I ask him. We decided to go to his parents for the day after Christmas. It's a little scary on Christmas Day; I can't believe how much family he has." I said. Cory nodded in understanding.

"Big families can be pretty overwhelming if you're not used to them. When are you going to see your family?" Cory asked gently.

My family and me were on thin ice at the current moment, which was a little bit better than what we used to be on. My father had only started talking to me again after the birth of his Grandson. Our relationship was rebuilding itself very slowly, but I was happy for that at least.

"I think we're going up there in February, or they are coming down here, I'm not sure which yet." I told her honestly.

"How are things in that department?" I shook my head from side to side.

"Papi is still a little hard to get used to. He loves Thomas unconditionally, but talking to him is still a little awkward. He and Flack get on quite well, since they pretty much talk about sports and cars. I just find it hard to really get past everything that's happened." I admitted. Cory studied me for a second.

"I think it's just hard for you to accept he wants to be a part of y'alls lives now." Cory told me, I nodded my head, knowing that she was right. I took a deep breath before pushing my plate away form me.

"That was yummy. It's been ages since I've actually been out." I confessed. A large grin spread across Cory's face as she reached into her bag pulling out an envelope.

"That's part of why I really called you here." She said, pushing the white envelope towards me with her finger tips. I frowned picking it up and opening it curiously.

"Oh my God! How did you get these?!" I brought the tickets for _Cats_ up to my face.

"And in such great seats!" I uttered. I was staring at her stunned as she smiled at me across the table.

"You have Taylor to thank for the tickets, Stella mentioned that you and Flack hadn't really had any alone time since the baby was born and I know you wanted to see _Cats_ so I thought why not see what we could do? Me and Danny have both requested that night off so we can take care of Thomas while you to spend the whole night together, alone…" she winked mischievously.

I jumped form my seat, and wrapped my arms around her tightly.

"Thank you so much, I'm really grateful to you guys for planning this." Cory hugged me back and kissed my cheeks as we pulled away.

"No problem, we just thought you deserved them." I settled back into my seat, slipping the tickets into my bag.

"Are you sure you and Danny will be able to look after Thomas?" I asked her, making sure.

"I've kept godchildren before so you don't need to worry." She confirmed. I felt a small weight off my shoulders. I knew Danny's experience with children hadn't gone beyond handing a kid candy, which was why I was glad Cory had a hand in the matter of babysitting.

Cory smirked with a twinkle in her yet. "Let's splurge and get dessert." Cory stated before handing me the menu.

**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!**

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm glad you see Carmen's point. We get to see a little more in to Carmen and the way she ticks soon._

_Charmedgrays: I'm glad you like it!_

_Sparkycsi: lol that would have been my first reaction. I had the image of her jaw dropping. Lol Carmen can be a bear sometimes!_


	6. Chapter 6: Assasinaton

**AN:**** Hey Thanks to all you people reviewing, and to all you lurkers, I am aware that your adding me to Story alerts and Author alerts, so thanks. Yet it would be nice to see a few more reviews! **

Chapter Six

_Six foot tall  
Came without a warning so I had to shoot him dead  
He won't come around here anymore_

_Maroon 5 – Wake Up Call_

As we stepped out the theater I couldn't help but stifle the laugh that erupted out of my mouth as Flack shuddered for the hundredth time this evening.

"I had no idea that your allergies to cats also spanned from a diverse hate you have for them." I giggled. Flack's face had been a picture of absolute horror when we'd arrived at the theater to realize we were going to see _Cats. _Especially since we were sitting in seats so close to the stage that the cats had actually strayed into the audience.

"Why would anyone want to dress up as one of those mangy things?" he growled. I was almost in stitches by this point.

"In all fairness, you didn't have to threaten to shoot it." I pointed out. Flack shivered again as we stepped out into the freezing wind. I wrapped my arms around him as he paused, hands buried in his pockets, pouting like a little boy.

"Come on Don, you did a little something for me, maybe I'll do a little something for you." I murmured mischievously. A grin started to curve across his face. His lips brushed mine as the snow cascaded from the sky upon us, wrapping us both in the moment before Flack whisked me home and straight to bed.

-------------------------

"Hey, sorry I'm late, everything's up in the air at work and we have this newbie." Cory chattered as she let herself into Danny's apartment with the spare key he had given her a month ago. She stopped dead at the sight in front of her.

Danny was sitting on the couch, his eyes closed. Thomas was snuggled up, tucked under Danny's arm asleep. A book lay open on Danny's knee, his hand resting on it gently.

Cory smiled to herself, spotting the fact Thomas was already in his pajama's. Cory tiptoed into the kitchen. Maybe Danny was better with children than she thought. She checked the time before flicking the kettle on. She'd hoped she'd get in earlier, but there was a set of investigations that needed her approval and Jacobson was as enthusiastic as ever, hindering her instead of helping her.

"How long have you been here?" Danny's voice was soft and tired as he spoke from his position on the couch. He was rubbing his eyes with one hand. His other arm was still wrapped around the small dark haired boy.

"I just got in." she said quietly. "Coffee?"

Danny nodded, before managing to dislodge his arm from underneath the sleeping child. He rose to his feet and moved towards Cory, wrapping his arms around her as she poured the hot water into the two cups.

"How are you doing _bella_?" he asked, his chin settling on her shoulder as he watched her add the sugar to his coffee.

"I'm ok, work's pretty much wiped me out. I'm trying to get several investigations off the ground and this newbie is gonna drive me to drink, but otherwise I'm doing ok." Cory turned around in his arms and kissed his lips gently.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help with Tom, how'd it go?" she asked, before handing him his coffee. Danny took it gratefully before sipping it.

"After the fifth phone call from Carmen "just checking up," I think Flack wrestled the phone from her and dumped it somewhere. Me and the little guy had fun."

Danny pursed his lips together. Cory tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in question, her insticts telling her that he wasn't telling her something.

"He kind of…maybe got into your make-up bag and well…I think your going to have to buy some new make up. I think he ate some lipstick." Danny confessed sheepishly.

Cory shook her head chuckling.

"I needed some new make-up anyway." She reassured him. Thomas began to stir on the couch, before sticking his thumb in his mouth. Cory watched him with a small smile.

"I'm going to put him to bed." She told Danny softly. Danny nodded wearily, thankful that he had such a wonderful girlfriend.

-------------

Mac wasn't sure why he woke up suddenly; he'd always been a light sleeper, ever since his time in the Marines. His eye flickered open, his ears intent, listening through the silence. He felt the air shift. Frowning, he moved into a sitting position, hand instinctively going for the gun on his nightstand. His fingers clasped around the weapon as he swung his legs out of the bed and pulled himself into a standing position.

His bedroom door was already open; he had no reason to close it at night. He peered around the doorframe his weapon drawn, his eyes flicked through the darkness, as his night vision adjusted.

Mac saw a flash of blond before immense pain exploded in his face. His own fist, still clenching the gun struck out in the dark. He felt it connect as his attacker's stance shifted, catching it in the jaw from his guess. The attacker recovered as quickly as Mac did, lashing out an arm. Mac got a hand in front of his throat as the attacker got around the back of him. The garroted wire dug into the flesh of his hand, protecting the tender skin of his throat.

Mac's elbow ploughed behind him, with enough force to shatter bone. The wire on his throat was released. Blood was flowing freely from Mac's hand, but he had no time to worry about that. He twisted out of the attacker's grip as the dark figure drew it's own weapon. Mac pulled the trigger first, his bullet aiming to kill just as he knew the assassin's would.

Mac heard the body hit the carpeted floor. It took him a second to regain his breath before he flicked the light switch on. His hand was already on his cell dialing, as he studied the blond assassin with the bullet hole in her head, blood spreading across the carpet.

**GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**

_Sparkycsi: lol I loved the fact they had a break. I thought that that would be an interesting thing to see their relationship outside of the baby. _

_Bluehavan4220: It was Carmen and Cory, I didn't really mean it to be confusing._

_Sanghian: Nice to see you again. lol I thought it was important for Flack to still retain some independent as a father. Lol I thought they'd all help out a little._


	7. Chapter 7: Out of the Loop

Chapter Seven

_Carry on my wayward son  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more_

_Kansas – Carry On My Wayward Son_

I was stirring in the warm bed, as the insistent chirping yanked me from my slumber. Flack moaned into my neck as I shifted away from his body, his arm slipped from around the bare skin of my waist as he rolled away to grab is phone. My hand shot out, grabbing my cell as it vibrated again.

"Devine…" I muttered sleepily as I rolled onto my back. I heard Flack giving the same response.

My eyes flew open wide as Gus's voice penetrated my ears.

"I'll be right there!" I said drawing back the covers and searching for my underwear amongst the mess of clothes.

Flack was two minutes behind me, grabbing is trousers off the floor.

"Mac's place?" he asked quietly, snatching up my shirt and handing it to me. I have him a grateful nod before pulling it over my head.

"It's been quiet for a while." I reminded him. I knew where his thoughts were. My eyes met his as I tied my hair back into a messy bun.

"You think there's something brewing." Flack clenched his jaw, before slipping on his badge and gun.

"I know that look Detective Flack and I know what it means." I told him hands on the hips of my skinny jeans.

"You know something." I remarked tossing him the keys. He caught them readily.

"Maybe…" I shook my head, fixing him with a steely gaze,

"Look let's just get to Mac's and then we can argue about who knows what." He told firmly. I narrowed by eyes, throwing on my thick black coat.

"Fine. But I'll get it out of you later." I warned him. Flack was pulling on his own woollen coat.

"Oh I have no doubt about that."

--------------------------

Red and blue lights were flickering as Flack swooped into a parking space, near the vicinity of Mac's apartment.

"Is that a body bag?!" I exclaimed, my heart in my throat. The car had barely stopped moving before I threw the door open, kit already in hand. My boots squished through the snow as I tread as fast as possible towards the ambulance, heart racing. Flack was two steps behind me.

The black body bag was being hauled into the back of the morgue's van, which was stationed next to the red and white ambulance. My heart clenched in my chest, as everything seemed to slow down. Mac couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be…

The breath rushed out of my body as tears began to pinprick my eyes.

I twisted as I heard my name being called.

"Carmen." Mac was sitting in the doorway of the ambulance, shouting my name across the mass of people.

"Mac!" I rushed over to him, throwing my arms around his neck as relief flooded through me. I pulled away staring at his face and frowning at bloody patch under his nose.

"What happened?" I asked as Gus strode over towards us, her eyes intent on her injured Uncle.

Mac spoke in a monotone voice as he explained the situation.

"You're sure it's her?" Flack asked. Mac frowned at him, holding a tissue to his nose.

Flack held up a hand in surrender.

"My bad."

"You think this could be personal?" I asked scanning Mac's face as he glanced at Flack. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Ok, what is going on here? You've been acting suspicious since we got this call out." I said pointing at Flack.

"And I saw what just happened with that little look. So explain this to me, because I know something's going on." I growled. Flack looked down at the floor. Gus was staring at something in the distance, and Mac met my gaze full on.

"We'll discuss this back at the lab. I need you to get in there with Hawkes and go over the scene." That was it, I was dismissed. I felt my jaw clench so tightly, my teeth hurt.

"Yes sir." I retorted before stalking away and into the apartment building.

----------------------

"That wasn't fair Mac." Flack was the first one to break the silence as he watched Carmen slam the doors to Mac's building behind her. Mac raised his eyes, tissue still dabbing at his nose.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her." Mac responded.

"I take it he hasn't filled her out on his mystery caller?" Gus asked Flack over the top of Mac's head.

Flack shook his head.

"You need to go public with this." Flack told Mac.

"The FBI's going to be all over this." Gus said nodding at Cory who was striding towards them already.

Mac raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

"Canvass the area, and see what anyone saw, I want to know how she got passed the doorman."

Gus rolled her eyes and turned her back on Mac before retreating towards the building.

Flack let out a sigh before shaking his head, and taking out his notebook. Cory slipped in next to him. Flack opened his mouth to speak a concerned expression on his face, as Cory held up a hand to silence him.

"Thomas is still with Danny, we flipped for it. He's been washed, fed and put to bed." Flack gave her a grateful smile as she turned her attention to Mac.

"So what can you tell me about the attack?" she asked. Flack scribbled in his notebook as Mac recited the events of the evening.

**READ GOTHAM'S HEROS!**

_Sparkycsi: lol I'm glad that I surprised you. I love the whole care freeness that they had, I thought it would be more surprising that way. Lol I could just imagine Danny telling her that way. Thanks for your help on ch12, Axellia gave me a hand with the gift lol, you were right about the car._

_Bluehaven4220: Well that's the beginning of a long, long storyline that you'll be reading soon. Lol I love Thomas, he's so cute!_

_StokesSandersSpeedle: lol I wanted Danny to come across as a good guy. Lol I'm on the fence about Linds, hence her being removed from SD. Lol There's a Danny and Carmen moment in a few chapters time. Lol at the time he didn't realize the Cats came into the audience. I had this mental image of him threatening them because he thinks their creepy._

_Stargazr: Howdy and welcome back to the story! Lol you're not slow. I am glad you found it tho. I've been working hard and help on it with the help of my fab beta. SO hopefully stay tuned._

_Charmedgreys: lol you'll have to wait and see!_


	8. Chapter 8: Shut Out

**AN: Lurkers thanks for joining us, but it would be nice to know what you think.**

Chapter Eight

_We knew all the answers  
And we shouted them like anthems  
Anxious and suspicious  
That God knew how much we cheated_

_Scissor Sisters – It Can't Come Quickly Enough_

"You're looking relatively…well your seething." Stella remarked, as she swept into the lab, her curls framing her beautiful face. I turned to face her swiftly, one hand on her hip.

"Ever think that sometimes people aren't telling you something?" I asked thoughtfully.

"Yea but usually they have a good reason…" Stella crossed her arms over her chest.

"Carmen, what's this about?"

I let out a deep breath and shook my head, returning to the evidence at hand.

"I'm not sure yet, I think this is related to something else. I mean there's something Mac hasn't been telling us. The minute we got this call, I knew there was something Flack was not telling me. I get to the scene and Gus and him have it painted on their faces and Mac practically orders me to go work the crime scene." I turned around to face Stella.

"I'm telling you Stell, there's something he's not telling us."

"Maybe he has a good reason." Stella shrugged, irritating me. I seemed to be the only one bothered by this.

"Look Mac tells people things in his own time; he's a very private person." She chided. I closed my eyes before exhaling and opening them again.

"I guess I just feel a little bit shut out." I admitted. Stella shook her head.

"You can't take it personally; it's just the way Mac is." Stella reminded me.

"Hm…" I grunted, leaning over the microscope an adjusted it.

"The assassin was from the case we worked on, the one where Mac made an avatar in Second Life?" Stella spoke to my back. I didn't turn to face her, but she knew I was listening.

"The assassin was her, it was lucky Mac got the drop on her, she was a pro." That got my attention. My head twisted suddenly away form the microscope.

"Someone hired a pro? Doesn't that worry you, that someone would pay to have Mac dead."

"Hence why he's staying at my place tonight." Stella returned, shaking her head.

"It means that whoever did this is calculated." I said thoughtfully.

"Whoever it is we'll catch them." Stella reassured me.

"That chic was definitely a professional; she used a bumpkey to jimmy the door. It's practically like using a proper key." I rubbed my eyes, feeling a deep seated weariness setting in. I raised my head; I could see into Mac's office from the Trace Lab. Cory, Flack and Mac had their heads bent together in a serious discussion.

I felt Stella's hand rest on my shoulder gently. I frowned and set my gaze upon her.

"Maybe you should go home." Stella said softly. My eyes slid to Don who appeared to be arguing with Mac. An idea sprung into my head, as a mischievous grin spread across my face.

"Maybe I will."

--------------------

The silk of the forest green night gown, brushed my skin softly. The black strappy shoes clicked on the laminate flooring, as I stood hands on my hips, hearing Flack's key twisting in the lock. As he opened the door, his eyes met mine and then strayed all over my attire.

I loosened the sash on my night gown and slipped it off my shoulders, revealing my emerald coloured, lace lingerie.

Flack shut the door behind him, a grin curving across his face.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he asked taking a step towards me.

"The question is what will you do…" I replied, treading towards him. Flack's face changed.

"Carmen I can't and you know…" he trailed off as I put a finger to his lips. I was standing right in front of him now, almost touching. My hands were on his tie loosening it slowly.

His lips were inches from mine, as I looked into his eyes. I could see the lust in them, his breath was quickening as I began undo the buttons on his shirt one at a time.

"Your gonna have to tell me at some point and I think this is as better reason than any." I remarked, pushing the shirt from his shoulders. Flack shivered as I licked my lips, pulling on the hem of his wife beater.

"Would you prefer to watch me for a while?" I asked stepping back, as I ran my hands all over my body. Flack bit his lip; I could hear his moan of frustration.

"Gonna tell me yet?" I murmured. My hands were running all over Flack's chest now. My lips were inches from his. My fingers flicking over his belt buckle, I was licking my lips. Don shuddered against me. His hands were on my hips gently kneading his fingers into the skin.

He clamped his mouth shut. My lips began to caress the hollow of his throat.

"Carmen…" he breathed, tipping his head back in passion. I paused as the words slipped out of Don's mouth and he began to tell me all about the three, thirty three am caller.

**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!**

_Bluehavan4220: lol I wrote like five chapters today so you're in for a surprise soon. I'm glad you liked this chapter! Lol I'm glad you keep reading._

_Sparkycsi: lol thanks for your work on 12, and I was talking about C's car. Your inbox is full of stuff off me at the min. I hope you enjoy! I was trying to figure out what Mac's reaction would be in this situation and that's what I came up with. I love Mac when he's trying to be tough._

_Maddy Bellows: Welcome back! I am so glad you have positive thoughts in regards to my guest stars. The lovely Gus helps Flack out a great deal in future chapters. I may send some a head to you. Thanks for your sweet review! I wanted to make sure you got to see both sides of the chars._


	9. Chapter 9: Dismissed

**AN: Come on people a little encouragement please! **

Chapter Nine

_Come on baby... Don't fear the Reaper  
Baby take my hand... Don't fear the Reaper  
We'll be able to fly... Don't fear the Reaper  
Baby I'm your man..._

_Blue Oyster Cult – Don't Fear The Reaper_

Mac's office was silent as I stood there leaning over his desk as he scribbled on the paper in front of him.

"I take it he told you?" Mac questioned without looking up. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I have my ways." I said softly.

"I have no doubt you do." Mac commented, his eyes rose to meet mine.

"If it helps, he didn't want to tell me." I revealed, studying Mac's face. I was noticing things that I hadn't seen there before. He looked wearier; there were more creases where there hadn't been creases before. His eyes looked dull and tired.

Mac looked haunted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered. Mac shook his head. I knew he hated the sympathetic look on my face, but I couldn't help it. For the first time since I met him Mac looked old. He turned his face away from me as if he already knew what I was seeing.

"I knew you'd be worried, you didn't need the worry. You've had a lot on your plate. I didn't think you needed anymore." He responded.

"You told Don." I pointed out. Mac gave me a small smile.

"Flack could do something about it, you couldn't." Mac told me, I knew by the look in his eyes, he thought he was protecting me.

"Anyway it's been passed onto the FBI now, so you don't have to worry. It's out of your hands." Mac said honestly. I tilted my head.

"If the FBI's involved then it must be serious." I said thoughtfully, dropping down into the seat across from Mac, eyes intent on his face.

"Cory's handling it from here, as I said it's out of your hands. Anyway you and Danny have a case." Mac told me sliding a file across the desk towards me. I picked it up recognizing the fact I was being dismissed.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol just for you another two chapters!!! Lol I wanted them to get a bit of time together so it would show that their still happy in their relationship._

_SParkycsi: lol He was, I was thinking how would she get it out of him. Well she is pretty sneaky…lol._


	10. Chapter 10: Fallen Angels

Chapter Ten

_I'm gonna wait 'til the midnight hour  
When there's no one else around_

_Andrew Strong – Midnight Hour_

"Hey Messer, we got a case." I reported angrily, slipping the case file onto his desk. Danny glanced up at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone spit in your coffee today?" he asked suspiciously, catching a look at my expression.

"You're real funny you know that?" I snapped, rolling my eyes. Danny grinned at me putting his hands up in mock surrender.

"Whoa, where's all the hostile energy coming from?" he retorted, climbing to his feet and grabbing his fleece lined jacket. I shook my head and sighed, still unhappy about the whole situation with Mac, but unable to do a damn thing about it.

"Nothing…Thanks for looking after Thomas last night, and giving me and Flack a little bit of alone time. I appreciate it." I told him, trying to shift myself into a better mood.

Danny grabbed his kit from along side his desk and held open the door for me.

"It was no problem." He shrugged. "Besides me and the little guy had fun, stayed in, watched a game, he pretty much slept through the night."

We were walking down the corridor now, towards the elevator, I pressed the button for the parking garage after stepping inside of it.

"You wanna drive?" I offered, keys dangling from my fingers.

Danny replied by shooting me a wide smile before taking the keys from my hand.

----------------

"Hey, what do we have here?" I called out to the back of **a** dark haired beauty. I cringed as Detective Angell turned around to face me. She looked at me equally as surprised, unease was etched on her face.

I bit my lip; it was going to be hard to keep this strictly professional.

Me and Detective Angell hadn't been out together on a case for long time ever since I caught her making a move on Flack during a bad patch we were going through. Safe to say me and Angell ignored each other, I was happy to ignore her as long as there was no repeat performances.

"Rape, the vic's at the hospital, she was beaten as well as violated." Angell tore her gaze away from me and flicked through her notebook.

"You wanna take the scene and I'll take the vic?" I asked Danny quietly. Danny nodded his reply, before picking up his kit and following Angell into the apartment building.

---------------

The hospital was cold and clinical as most hospitals were. As I entered the room in which Melanie Dolan was about to be examined, I felt a cold shiver run up my spine. My heart truly went out to the young woman propped up in the hospital bed.

I shoved away the memories of my ex husband Mathew's hands running all over my body as he pinned my body between himself and the bed. I shook my head to clear it.

Six years ago Mathew had been released from prison for attempting to murder me. Despite being divorced over ten years Mathew had come to my apartment insisting he was still my husband, except he didn't find me there, he found Flack instead, setting up a romantic evening. When I eventually arrived home, I found Flack gagged and bound to a chair and was attacked by my psychotic ex.

Mathew had dragged me into my bedroom and tried to rape me, the only thing that had stopped him, was the fact I managed to get him so angry that he stabbed me instead. I snapped out of my reverie and focused on the victim.

Melanie Dolan's pretty blond hair was shoulder length, and covered only a portion of the bruising on her face. The thick hospital blankets were pulled up to her throat. Her eyes were on me instantly as I stepped into the room, surveying me in anxiety. I set my case down next to me.

"Hey." I said in soft soothing tone. "I'm Detective Carmen Devine."

Melanie's almond coloured eyes looked dull and lifeless. She didn't respond until I started moving towards her.

"I know what you've been through is a traumatic experience, but I need to see if you have anything on you that may help us catch your attacker." I paused for a second, seeing a flicker of something in her eyes.

"Will you be okay while I do that?" I asked gently. Melanie turned her head away before nodding. I bent down and flicked open my kit, before taking out the relevant tools.

"If at any point you feel uncomfortable, tell me and I'll stop straight away." Melanie nodded again as I picked up my camera.

"First, I need to take pictures if that's ok?" I asked cautiously.

Melanie shifted the blanket down to her waist before showing me the purple bruises on her wrists. I raised the camera to my face and took a picture.

"That's where he held me down…" I glanced up surprised at her meek voice. Her eyes were on me, alive and wide.

"He had some scarves; he tied them to the bed posts…" Tears were running down her face now. I felt my heart breaking inside my chest.

"I tried to fight…I really did, but he hit me and he wouldn't stop…" Her hands covered her face as she broke down into raw sobs.

I knew what she was talking about; I knew the utter feeling of helplessness that she had felt.

I set the camera down upon the bed and scooted over to the side of her bed.

"I'm so scared he's going to get me again." The words were muffled as I wrapped my arms around her. Her hands tightened on my shirt as she broke down completely.

"I promise he'll never touch you again, Melanie, I promise."

-----------------

The bedroom was a mess. It was clear to Danny that Melanie Dolan had fought her attacker. Shaking his head, he raised his camera to his face and took a picture of the rumpled sheets of the bed. He moved to get a closer look of the bloodstained scarves still attached to the bed posts. He took another picture before swabbing it.

He felt Angell's presence in the door way before she spoke.

"I've spoke to some of the neighbours, the one underneath said he heard movement at around ten this morning, but just thought the occupant was moving the furniture. Other than that nothing." Angell said to Danny's back as he straightened up.

"There was no sign of forced entry on the front door, but the entrance of the bedroom door had some scratches in the panel, indication there was no way she wanted to end up in here."

"You think she let her attacker in and then realized his intentions hence the scratches in the bedroom door frame but no forced entry on the front door?" Angell asked.

"It would explain a few things. Who found her?" Danny said picking up the camera and taking a picture of a broken lamp on the laminate flooring.

"Her roommate reported it, he was out celebrating his hockey team winning the league last night, said he got I around three am, and passed out in his room. He woke up early this morning and knocked on Melanie's door to see if she wanted breakfast, when there was no answer he opened the door to see her tied to the bed unconscious." Angell recounted to Danny who was still snapping away at various things in the room.

"We'll have to see if the story Carmen gets matches up to what you have and see if the roommate's telling the truth."

There was a silence between them as Danny donned his latex gloves and began bagging parts of the scene. Angell was the first one to speak.

"I was surprised to see Carmen here today; I thought she'd switch cases or something." Angell said softly, looking at her hands. Danny didn't look up from undoing the scarf from the bed post.

"She didn't know you were the Detective on the case." Danny responded.

"Oh." Was all Angell could say.

"I was hoping she kind of would of let it go by now." Angell said quietly as Danny bagged the scarf.

"You did come on to the guy who was going to be her husband." Danny said dryly

"I didn't know he'd proposed!" Angell burst out. Danny glanced at her over his shoulder.

"And that shouldn't be the sole basis of your argument." Danny pointed out.

"When it comes down to it, you knew they were going through a bad patch, because Don had confided in you. He didn't confide in anyone else, just you." Danny shook his head in disgust.

"You used it to make your move on him. I mean what were you thinking Angell?" Angell wrapped her arms around herself.

"I was lonely, and he was there. He was always so supportive, especially when my father died, when I didn't know what the hell to do." Angell whispered the confession, Danny could barely hear her. He turned to face Angell, studying her for a second.

"That's because he cares, he'd do it for anyone. It's not an excuse for you to jump him, the first chance you get." Danny told her, his face creased in disbelief.

"You can't just do that to people, especially not the ones in Flack's situation. It wasn't fair."

Angell nodded before crossing her arms over her chest and letting out a deep sigh.

"I just want to say I'm sorry." She murmured.

"Then you're best telling that to Carmen because I'm not getting in the middle of this." Danny told her firmly before turning back to process the crime scene.

--------------

"Melanie, I'm going to continue with the examination now." I said softly. The younger girl's tears had stopped pouring down her cheeks now; she was beginning to pull herself back together now. There was a fire in her eyes, as she nodded.

I began by scrapping the evidence from underneath her fingernails. Then I continued by combing through her hair. I was being gentle as I could be under the circumstances. Melanie was quiet and compliant through the whole process, even when I asked her to open her legs.

I hated this part of my job, I felt intrusive as I took out several swabs. I heard Melanie whimper softly as I began to examine her.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked clearly, I was beginning to feel upset by the distress I was causing the young woman. She shook her head reply, letting me continue. When I was finished I helped her pull the blanket up to her waist.

"I'm going to leave now, to process your evidence, is there anyone you want me to call, so you're not alone?" I asked Melanie in low soothing tones. Her hands were picking at the cotton of the blanket.

"My parents are flying in from Toronto, they'll be here soon." I nodded before taking something out of jacket pocket.

"If you ever need to talk, feel free to call me, anytime. I'm on all sorts of crazy shifts; I may know someone who can help a little if it gets too much to bear sometimes." Melanie pursed her lips together before nodding her response. I rested my hand on her shoulder for a minute sympathetic.

"You're going to be ok." I told her. She gave me a watery smile before I slipped through the door.

----------------

A nurse moved towards me as I paused for a second in the corridor, feeling the energy run out of me. What had happened to Melanie Dolan was awful, I cold tell from the way she responded that she was a fighter though. She would get through this. I stepped away from the door.

"Detective Devine?" I turned my head, fixing my gaze on the homely blond nurse who was talking to me.

"Hi." I said as took the plastic bag from her hands.

"I'm Nurse Ramsey. That's what she was wearing when she came in. Every item is in that bag." I gave her a tired smile, glancing through the items.

"You're pretty though Nurse Ramsey." I stated honestly. The nurse gave me a knowing look.

"I just hope you catch that guy. He made a mess of her Detective. She has lacerations on her arms. She has several cracked ribs, her body is covered with cuts and bruises…We were even concerned for a while due to the swelling in her brain." The nurse confided before handing me the written report.

I furrowed my brow as I flicked through it.

"Do you mind if I take this?" I asked. The nurse shook her head.

"I hope you catch him Detective, for all our sakes." She spoke to me retreating back. I glanced at her over my shoulder.

"So do I."


	11. Chapter 11: Past and Present

Chapter Eleven

_Ooh, these feet carry me far  
Oh, my body. Oh so tired  
Mouth is dry  
Hardly speak  
Holy spirit rise in me_

_James Blunt – I'll Take Everything_

I ran my hands over my tired face while in the elevator, the evidence resting at my feet in front of me. Being alone in the elevator gave me a minute alone to collect myself before I stepped into the bustle of the lab. This case had rattled me and I had no ideas to why. It wasn't the first rape case I'd worked and it certainly wouldn't be the last. I closed my eyes, ignoring the memories that were seeping back into my consciousness. The problem was that when Melanie had turned her brown eyes on me, I saw a piece of myself in them. I had been that girl six years ago.

When I woke up after being stabbed, my first memory was of Mathew's body pressing upon me. It was so clear and vivid in my mind that I'd began to lash out, the only person who'd managed to calm me down was Mac. I'd thought Mathew had succeeded until Mac reassured me that rather than rape me, I'd angered Mathew so much that he had stabbed me instead. Even with that reassurance, I'd been truly shaken by the whole experience. The thought of how close I'd been to being violated scared me.

As the elevator doors opened, I bent down to pick up the evidence bags resting by my feet. I treaded lightly into the chaotic lab. Crime appeared to pick up around the holidays. Nobody knew why, but it was a definite fact that we were all kept busy around Christmas. It was already the seventeenth of December and Flack and I only had Thomas's presents up to date.

I wandered into the Trace Lab were Danny had already set up shop and was beginning to go over his evidence. I took off my long jacket and hung it up, before reclaiming my lab coat.

"This all the stuff from the apartment?" I asked, scanning over the bits and pieces Danny had lain out in front of him.

"This is everything I can find, from what I can tell it started in the living room, there were scratches on the door frame from where she tried to stop her attacker getting her into the bedroom. She tell you anything?" He asked, leaning his palms flat on the table between us.

"She was pretty messed up." I told him, plugging the camera into the computer, and flicking the large screen in the middle of the room on, so we could both look at the pictures.

"The nurse told me that they were alarmed because she had swelling around her brain. That type of injuries are usually consistent with impact to the head, which would explain why the only thing she can remember, is her attacker pinning her down and tying her up with the scarves. She said it was dark so she couldn't see his face."

Danny picked up a picture for the table and handed it to me.

"There was blood on her dresser; maybe she hit her head on it." Danny muttered. I studied the picture, before nodding my agreement.

"It is likely. I've got her clothes from the hospital here." I showed Danny the bag.

"You wanna go over them with me?" I asked Danny, he nodded before we both set to work.

------------------

Cory was sitting in her office, rubbing her eyes wearily as she stared at the paper in front of her. Rebekka Dichov's picture was staring back up at her. Across from her Agent Paul Jacobson was sitting in front of her, flicking through the same set of papers that she was. An hour before they'd ran the assassin's fingerprints through the system and it had spat out a startling amount of information.

"She has a lot of aliases." The tall red haired agent muttered. Cory let a sigh escape her lips as she shook her head.

"She also has a lot of connections by the look of it." Cory replied, leaning back on her chair thoughtfully.

"Some of them are on our risk list." She added, shaking her head.

"She could have been trying to hit Detective Taylor for any number of these gangs or individuals. The list is practically endless." Jacobson stated, taking a sip from his coffee.

"I think the best we can do for now is make a short list of those who had some form of direct link to Mac Taylor and see what we can do from there. You up for some overtime?" Cory asked the younger man whose hazel eyes glinted in anticipation at her words.

"Bring it on."

-----------------

"I've run the DNA we got off the panties through the system, but whoever it is doesn't appear to have a record. The only fingerprints we have are off her and guy she lives with, which is kind of expected." I dropped down into my seat as I spoke.

"I think it's safe to say we've hit a dead end." I growled, letting out a deep breath. Danny was leaning over the table head bowed down, studying the pictures.

"Whoever she fought with has to have scratches at least up his arms. I mean she fought like crazy to get him away from her." Danny reminded me. I frowned deep in thought.

"Another thing is that the door wasn't jimmied or broken or anything, it was pretty much intact. Which means she either let her attacker in, or they had a key. It had to be somebody she trusted."

"Did the guy she lives with have anything on him?" I asked hopefully. Danny pulled a face.

"I didn't get a look at him, Angell interviewed him." I tilted my head at Danny pondering.

"We're gonna have to ask her aren't we?" I muttered. Danny pursed his lips and nodded. I sighed before switching jackets and following him out of the lab.

------------------

"Solved the case yet?" Angell asked brightly as Danny stepped towards her. I trailed behind him grinding my teeth. I hated having to deal with her, but I was going to be professional despite the fact my blood was boiling.

"We need to ask you a few questions first about the guy that Melanie was living with." I responded, crossing my arms over my chest. Angell flicked through her notebook.

"Warren Williams? Sure shoot." I narrowed my eyes as she spoke. Danny took over.

"You didn't happen to see any scratches on him?" Danny questioned. Angell focused for a second; I could tell she was thinking.

"He was wearing long sleeves." She commented finally, the look on her face was slightly horrified.

"I thought I saw something on his neck, when he shifted, it was tiny and only for a second." My eyes widened at her words. Angell was going red and shaking her head. I almost wanted to shout at her. I managed to restrain myself.

"We need to get him in here." I said shaking my head at Angell's words. Angell was on her feet in seconds, Danny was right behind her. He stopped when he realized I wasn't following.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked frowning. I shook my head, as an idea popped into my head.

"Nope, I have an idea, about how we can get Warren to roll up his sleeves." Danny shrugged before taking off to catch up with Angell, while I moved towards the interrogation rooms.

---------------

Jacobson placed the third cup of coffee in as many hours down in front of Cory. She yawned, and stretched before taking a sip.

"I think it's safe to say we have our shortlist for the moment." Cory remarked, scanning the list of groups and individuals.

"The one I'm particularly interested in is this one, the Red Hand Commandos. Nearly two years ago, we launched several mutual raids on the Irish Mob; we got several key members and acquired the majority of their finances. The key figures in the investigation were Mac Taylor and Donald Flack. Hits were placed on both of these men, resulting in Flack's wedding being targeted by a bomb. The Mob disbanded after another raid and some members fled back to Ireland and others stuck around here in New York, going from gang to gang." Cory tapped her pen on her desk whilst explaining this to Jacobson.

"The Red Hand Commandos are a group native to Ireland. They're responsible for several deaths in Belfast and Dublin. We were alerted by the Irish authorities of the fact that several key players in the group were immigrating over here. It appears they're setting up shop. These guys don't function like the mob; they're people who are disillusioned by the justice system. We know that several members whom disbanded from the mob have joined their ranks, problem being we just don't know what their up to." Cory leaned back in her chair as she told the story. Jacobson's eyes were on her intent.

"So what's the plan boss?" Jacobson asked eager. Cory studied the papers in front of her for a moment.

"I think we're going to have to send someone undercover."

----------------

I was standing on the outside of the glass watching Warren Williams sweat…literally. Across the table Danny threw his hands down on the table. Warren jumped. Next to me Angell had her arms folded over her chest as did I. We were both silent watching the scene unfold in front of us. Sweat was already rolling down Warren's forehead.

"Ingenious really, turning up the heating in there." Angell said softly. I gave her a side long glance.

"Quickest way to see if he's got scratches on his arms." I told her. She pursed her lips and looked down at her boots.

"I'm sorry." She erupted quickly. I blinked, surprised by the outburst. I twisted my head towards her.

"What?" my eyes were on her intently as she swung her gaze to meet mine.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you and Flack; it was wrong and selfish…" I cut her off.

"I don't want to hear about it Angell. You were having a tough time, and we were having problems. He was there for you. I know what's it's like to have someone rescue you from that, especially someone like Flack. You're right it was wrong and selfish, but I know it wasn't malicious, you weren't going out to hurt me on purpose or anything so I can live with it." I told her flatly. I returned my gaze to the scene in front of me.

Warren was beginning to tug at his sleeves.

"Are we friends then…?" Angell asked uncertainly.

"We're ok; let's just see where we go from there." I sighed. Angell nodded as I stepped around her to slip into the interrogation room. I paused before reaching for the handle.

"Oh and Angell?" she turned to face me.

"You get in between us again, and I swear to God, you haven't even seen my nasty side yet." I bared my teeth at her before entering the interrogation room.

----------------

"Those are some pretty bad scratches you've got there." I commented to Warren. I could already feel my hair sticking to the back of my neck, from the sheer heat of the room.

Warren eventually had succumbed to rolling up his sleeves.

"A cat did them; I was trying to help it out of a trash can." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"They're pretty deep." I pointed out. Warren shrugged.

"You know what I think?" Warren shook his head, his lips clamped together.

"I think that it was you that raped Melanie, you came home drunk and didn't want the night to end, isn't that what happened…" Danny burst in where I left off.

"We know that whoever did it had a key Warren it was the only way they could have gotten in." Danny growled.

"How much did you have to drink that night? I mean it must have been a lot for you to turn on your own friend. I know she's a pretty girl but come on she's your friend…" Warren snapped under the constant tirade he was under and erupted suddenly.

"I'm in love with her!" I stared at him, feeling my jaw clench. My instincts were telling me to keep my mouth shut for the time being. Warren put his head in his hands.

"I love her. I always have ever since I saw her. I came in; I was still flying high from celebrating over the game." His eyes met mine.

"We'd done a few poppers at the club and I was still riding them when I came in and saw her lying there on the couch, asleep." He shuddered, and I knew it wasn't from the cold air since the room was startling warm.

"It's like I wasn't in control but I knew what I was doing. I started kissing her. She'd been flirting with me for ages, giving me glimpses of things, teasing me, I know she was." His eyes met Danny's across the table, a sickening smile spreading across his face.

"She liked it rough." He uttered licking his lips.

"She struggled but she wanted it, I could see it in her eyes. She wanted it as much as I did. She liked it when I held her down. It was hot; I'd never been so turned on in my life by someone. She let me do everything I'd ever fantasised about to her…it was the best sex I ever had man. It was unbelievable…" his eyes were on Danny, wide and wondrous. There was a bitter taste in my mouth as I recoiled in disgust.

The expression on his face was one that I recognized, form when Mathew had talked about killing that kid, who was pretending to be a Tanglewood boy; it was the power that came with it, the control. I felt sick.

"Well I'm sure your buddies in prison will help you relive the experience." I spat before rising from my chair and removing myself form the room as graciously as I could.

I dropped down onto the seats out my hands covering my face for a second. I couldn't get Mathew's taunting face out of my head. The exact same expression Warren had on his face.

"Are you ok?" Danny stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly. He frowned at me concerned as I wrapped my arms around myself and shrugged.

"Just memories, you know?" I said studying the ground under my feet.

I felt Danny settle beside me. He reached out, his arms wrapped around my shoulder, as he pulled me into a comforting hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, willing myself to just let it all go.

"He's not coming back. Carmen he can't get you. Mathew's in the ground." Danny murmured.

"I know." I said softly. "The look on that kid's face, Danny, it's the same one as when Matthew killed that kid, the exact same one…it's eerie." I confessed, pulling away. Danny watched me as I ran a hand through my hair.

"You kept your promise, that monster won't hurt anyone else." Danny told me pointing at the door. I felt a little smirk play across my face, as he helped me to my feet.

"How'd you know that I promised…" I asked quietly. Danny gave me a knowing look.

"You always keep your promises." He replied as we watched Jennifer Angell guide Warren Williams past us and towards this new home.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!**_

_Bluehavan4220: Hey I'm glad you like it. Hope you loved this chapter._

_Sparkycsi: lol I love this case. I have no idea where it came form, the case came out of nowhere. Thanks for everything. _

_Sanghian: And it continues to get thicker in the next five chapters._


	12. Chapter 12: Tis The Season

**AN: Thanks to Sparkycsi for her help writing the parts of Danny and Cory! Couldn't have done this without you.**

Chapter Twelve

_Snow is falling  
All around me  
Children playing  
Having fun _

It's the season  
Love and understanding  
Merry Christmas everyone 

_Shakin Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone_

"Ma! Ma! Ma!" Thomas's little voice was chanting over and over again, shaking me from my lovely warm sleep. I rolled onto my back to find Thomas climbing onto the bed and crawling towards me.

"San bee!" This was to be interpreted as "Santa's been." I yawned, pulling myself up into a sitting position in bed, my eyes catching sight of Flack leaning in the door way. His dark hair was mussed from sleep. His white wife beater and navy PJ bottoms made him look far sexier than any of his suits. His cornflower blue eyes were sparkling as I grinned at him.

"I take it Daddy got you up didn't he Tom?" I said, reaching over and pulling the little boy closer to me. Thomas waved his hand in front of my face. Inside his tiny fist a small red present was wrapped with lots of tape. I took it out of his hand.

"Is this for me?" I asked as Thomas stuck his hand in his mouth and nodded.

I began to unwrap the present carefully. I blinked, a hand going to my mouth.

"Oh Don…" I uttered, my eyes going to him. He pointed at Thomas, still smiling.

"It's Thomas's gift." He told me. The locket was made of silver, a Celtic design sprawled along the outside. Upon opening it up I saw Don had slipped a small, smiling picture of baby Thomas.

I swooped the tiny boy up in my arms and began to shower him with kisses. Thomas began to wriggle, as Don, moved over to the side of the bed. His lips met mine gently.

"Merry Christmas." He said softly. I gazed into his eyes, seeing all the love he had for me in them.

"Merry Christmas Mr Flack." I returned.

"San!" I pulled back as Flack picked up Tom, giving me some space to move on the bed. He moved towards the living room, waiting patiently for me in the door way, as I picked up my dressing gown and pulled it over my shoulders. I glanced up catching him watching me.

"What?" I asked yawning, stretching my arms a little. Flack smiled and shook his head.

"I just feel really lucky that I have you and this little guy keeping me sane." He told me. I could see the honesty in his eyes. I stepped towards him slowly and stood up on tiptoes.

"I love you too Don." I whispered kissing his cheek, before he brought Thomas into the living room and towards the Christmas tree.

------------------

Danny awoke early, on Christmas Day. As he stretched in his bed, his hand automatically reached for Cory, who wasn't there. Sighing, he realized that he was in his bed, not hers since she had forbidden him from distracting her the previous night. Laughing, he remembered her words. "I have enough to do without you providing me with a distraction, Messer." He had tried to convince her to let him stay, but she had pushed him out the door about five p.m. after telling him that she had to both decorate and cook and he would just get in her way.

With an idea forming in his head, he grinned as he leapt out of the bed and into the bathroom to take a shower before he left.

Thirty minutes later, he was walking out of his apartment, a little after five a.m. Most of his presents were already at Cory's, except for the one that he had been hiding from her. He knew that she had looked around his apartment for it; he had actually caught her looking, but little did she know that he wasn't keeping it there. He had picked the present up from Flack the previous night. Carmen, bless her, he thought, had wrapped it for him.

He grinned as he remembered the look that Carmen had giving him, the one that all females got when someone was getting expensive jewellery. _Little does she know,_ Danny thought as he hailed a cab on the cold sidewalk.

Once at Cory's, he quietly slipped the key she had given him three months previous into the lock. He quietly opened the door, to the sight of softly twinkling lights and to the smell of holiday food. _Wow,_ he thought as he closed the door. When he had left the apartment the previous night, there were no Christmas decorations in sight. Now he was stunned as he looked at the decorations.

In the corner of the room, in front of the windows overlooking the balcony was a tall Christmas tree, covered in twinkling white lights. As he moved further into the room, he noticed that the tree was covered in small red bows. On the top of the tree, a large red bow was tied, with the ribbons trailing down the tree. He quickly deposited the gift under the tree with the multitude of wrapped presents already there.

As he turned to walk to the bedroom, he noticed that there were many candles in hurricane vases on the various tabletops and another twinkling garland outlining the walls of the room. He followed the trail of garland until he was outside of Cory's door. Quietly, so not to awaken her, he opened the door, to find that Cory was cuddled under blankets. He walked into the room, which was noticeably cooler than the rest of the apartment. Cory had told him that she loved to sleep when it was cold. Shivering, he quickly took off his jacket and crawled under the covers with her. She never woke up; she just wrapped her arms around him, hugging him until he was warm.

------------------------

"Hey, Merry Christmas you." Stella murmured, bending down to kiss Mac's cheek, as he stared at the early morning TV. He turned his head as Stella's lips brushed his mouth softly. For a moment Mac was lost in the kiss until Stella pulled away blushing. Curls from the messy bun framed her face as she took something out from behind her back.

"Here this is for you." Stella said handing Mac an elegantly wrapped gift. She pulled the long silk black robe tighter around her as Mac unwrapped the gift gently in his large hands.

His white v-neck t-shirt and green checked PJ bottoms made him look more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him before.

His apartment was still under investigation, so an overnight stay had actually turned into four days and counting. Not that she minded; she found to her own surprise that she liked having him around.

"Stella…Where did you get this?!" Stella grinned as Mac's stunned expression became even more evident. The grin on Mac's face warmed her heart and made a smile begin to stretch across her face.

Mac held up the signed Ray Charles vinyl, analysing the signature.

"I checked…" she told him as his eyes met hers.

"It's real." She confirmed. Mac's jaw almost dropped. Stella enjoyed seeing him in this state. For once he looked happy.

"How…" he began recovering from speechlessness. Stella tapped her nose.

"A girl's got to have her secrets Mac." She said as he stared at her gift.

"I have one for you." He handed it over almost unwillingly. Mac was starting to look a little nervous as she delicately undid the bow on the gift wrapped parcel. An illusive black box came into view as the paper fell away. Stella's brow creased curiously as she opened the box. Her hands went to her mouth gasping.

"If you don't like it I can take it back." Mac stated, gaze intent on her face.

"Oh Mac it's beautiful!" she exclaimed holding up the glorious golden antique necklace. Seven tiny emeralds were set into the structure of the necklace, so they hung at different heights on the wearer's cleavage.

"I love it." She uttered, still stunned, examining the necklace. Mac rose to his feet, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"You want me to help you put it on?" he asked taking it gently from her hands as she nodded. Mac stepped behind her and began to fasten the necklace as delicately as he could.

"There." He pulled away as she rose to her feet and turned to face him.

"How does it look?" she asked. Mac almost stopped breathing for a second. All he was aware of was her. He swallowed hard, shaking his head.

"You look stunning…" he told her truthfully. Stella threw her arms around his neck. The warmth of her body against his and her scent made him draw her closer. He kissed her forehead, before pulling back and staring deeply into her eyes.

"Merry Christmas Stella."

------------------------

Matt set the cool glass of orange juice on Taylor's bedside table as she groaned from under the deep warmth of the quilt. She shuffled up the bed propping herself up on her pillows. Her hazel eyes fell on Matt who was sipping his own coffee, his own eyes on her, he was smiling softly.

"What time is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes, before reaching out and sipping the glass of orange juice.

"It's a little before eight." He answered. Taylor leaned back and sighed with contentment, as Matt settled on the bed next to her. He leaned forward and kissed her mouth softly before pulling away, leaving Taylor wanting more.

"Merry Christmas." He uttered before handing her a small gift. Taylor held it to her ear and shook it for a second, before reaching underneath the bed and pulling out Matt's main present and handing it to him.

"You want to do this at the same time?" she grinned. Matt nodded and began stripping his gift of the paper as Taylor did the same.

There was a stunned silence between the two of them. Matt was the first to speak.

"I can't believe you bought these for me, they're really expensive, Taylor where did you get them?" Matt was studying the box in wonderment as he turned it over and started exploring the expensive set of cooking implements she had bought him.

He'd wanted these for ages but could never justify treating himself to them. He raised his eyes to see Taylor sitting there, a confused smile frozen on her face. In her hand she held up a leash and a collar.

"I thought our sex life was kinky enough…" she muttered, still starring at the offending gift. Matt found himself laughing out loud. Taylor looked to him raising an eyebrow, clearly uncertain about the situation.

"They're not for you…" he wheezed through the laughter. Taylor become even more unsure now, a frown evident on her face.

"I got you a puppy." He told her still smiling. It took a second for the ball to drop.

"Oh my God! You got me a puppy?! What kind? Where is it?!" she exclaimed, head darting all around the bedroom looking for tell tale signs of the creature. She was practically jumping up and down, making Matt's smile broader. He loved seeing her like this.

"Taylor calm down." He said humorously, his hands settled on her shoulders. His eyes were on hers.

"It's a cocker spaniel, and I couldn't bring it here without you knowing so I left it at its owner's place. She said we can pick it up the day after tomorrow." Taylor threw her arms around Matt, knocking him backwards on to the bed. He was laughing as she moved on top of him, her lips on his.

"I can't believe you got me a puppy." She murmured between kisses. Matt groaned as he ran his hands through her hair, letting her take charge of the situation.

------------------------

When Cory finally awoke around eight, she was unsurprised to find Danny next to her. She smiled softly while she climbed out of the bed.

"G'morning," came Danny's sleep roughened voice.

"Morning," she replied. "What time did you get here?"

Danny sat up in the bed, while Cory belted her robe around her. "A little after five. I missed you."

Cory laughed. "I missed you, too. But it was only one night. I just needed some time to put everything together. What did you think?"

Danny climbed out of the bed and followed her as she began to walk towards the kitchen. "I can't believe the difference. How long did it take you to put this together?"

Cory smiled as she started the coffee. "Not long. I've decorated before. Would you like some breakfast? Lunch isn't until two."

Danny smiled. "Of course! When am I not hungry?"

Cory laughed as she began to prepare pancakes.

------------------------

After two previous tries, Flack and I finally managed to leave home around twelve-thirty. "Do we have everything now?" I asked.

Flack smiled at me, his dimples increasing. "I think so. Hopefully. We'd better get there before Cory thinks that we changed our minds."

I laughed, feeling carefree. "She knows how much work having kids is, so I think that she would understand if we were late. Besides, I come bearing chocolate chip cookies, that would make her forgive me!"

Flack laughed as he strapped Tom into the car seat.

Twenty minutes later, we were pulling up in front of Cory's building. I gathered the cookies and all of Thomas's paraphernalia, while Flack gathered Thomas and the box of gifts for the team.

After we made our way off the elevator, I knocked on Cory's door, which was opened by Mac. "Hey, Mac," I said as he began to help me with all the stuff I was carrying. I sniffed the air as I walked into the living room. "It smells good in here."

Mac nodded his head as he held his arms out to Flack, who gladly passed Tom to him. "Cory's been cooking for two days; at least that's what Danny said. Stella and Cory are in the kitchen. Why don't you join them?"

I nodded as I made my way into the room. I noticed Flack walking towards the pool table in the game room. "Hey guys!" I exclaimed.

Stella turned and smiled at me. I gasped as I saw the gorgeous emerald necklace gracing her features. "Wow, Stella! That is gorgeous," I exclaimed.

Stella just nodded. "It's Mac's Christmas present to me."

Cory nodded. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. There's just something about getting jewellery for Christmas. It signals a change in the relationship," she said with a smirk.

Stella blushed at Cory's insinuation. Seeing her embarrassment, I leapt to her defence. "Really? Hum. Then would it intrigue you to know that I wrapped a little blue box for you from Danny?"

Cory whipped her head around. "What?" she asked in shock.

I smiled as I teased her. "Yeah. Danny had me wrap your present and it was in a Tiffany's box."

Cory's eyes grew wide. "Don't you dare tell me what was in the box, Carmen Devine-Flack! I don't want to know. Wait, I do want to know. What did he buy me?"

I watched the emotions cross her face as I shook my head. "I don't know. I didn't open it. Anyway, do you need any help with cooking?"

Cory looked like she wanted to continue to probe me for information, but she finally sighed. "I cooked most of everything yesterday. The turkey and stuffing are cooking in the oven, the potatoes are warming on the stove. Matt promised to bring the candied yams and the desserts. All that is left is the fruit salad. So, who wants to peel the oranges and the apples?"

I looked at her. "I'll take the apple," I said instantly, narrowing my eyes. I hated peeling oranges.

Stella looked at me. "Okay. I'll peel the oranges."

Cory smiled and had started to peel the bananas when Matt and Taylor walked into the kitchen.

"I brought the yams and the desserts, Cory. Where do you want them?"

Cory looked up from the bananas. "Hey, Matt. Put the yams in the oven to warm and the desserts on the counter." She turned her gaze on to Taylor. "Hi, Taylor. How are you?"

Taylor smiled at the domestic scene in front of her. "I'm good. Can I help?"

Cory got a scared look on her face and I laughed, knowing full well how useless Taylor was in the kitchen. "We have everything under control, Tay," I said, saving Cory.

Cory shook her head. "You can set the table. Everything should be ready in about thirty minutes," she said while pouring sugar on the bowl of fruit.

Taylor nodded. "That I can do. By the way, Cory. You place looks amazing."

Cory smiled as she watched Taylor walk out of the room, a spring in her step.

There was another knock upon the door; Flack opened it to reveal a harassed looking Gus.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, I was on call." She muttered her arms full of brightly coloured parcels, some of which were beginning to slip from her hands. Flack reached out catching a few of the few falling ones.

"Thanks." She muttered, as Flack closed the door behind her.

"Sheldon told me to tell you, it doesn't look like he'll be able to get out in time for dinner, so he'll give you his presents at a later date." Gus announced to the room. Cory smiled warmly at her, and took Gus's coat.

"You're just in time." Cory told Gus, as she dropped her gifts onto the sofa. Thomas was toddling towards Gus he best he could arms out stretched.

"Gu! Gu!" He was waving his tiny present to her in one hand. Gus grinned before sweeping Thomas off his feet. He giggled out loud as she held him.

"We're about to unwrap presents." Cory said gesturing Gus towards the chair by the Christmas tree.

_**Read Gothams Heroes!**_

_Bluehavan4220: An extra few chapters to give the chars a rest. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: Where would I be without you? Lol Warren gave me the wiggins too, when I was writing him I was getting shiver up and down my spine. I may make a few changes to the chapters I've written for the future. I'll write them after my deadlines and send them along._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I'm glad you liked it and I hope this one matches up. I love writing this story so far. Thanks for the review, I haven't had a chance to check out yours due to deadlines but I will, I hope you enjoy the next few chaps._

_Axellia: Firstly welcome back! I missed you and your reviews. Thanks for all the reviews you've posted so far and I hope you don't mind what I've done with Tay in the next few chapters. She gets a bigger role later on during the Matt storyline, which I am going to have a ball writing. I love writing about Matt lol. Anyway enjoy the next few chapters._


	13. Chapter 13: Gift Giving

**AN:**** Special thanks to Sparkycsi for all her help with this! It was a nightmare to write but you helped loads with your OCD list!**

Chapter Thirteen

_When all our dreams come true._

_The boys of the NYPD Choir_

_Were singing 'Galway Bay'_

_And the bells were ringing out_

_For Christmas Day_

_Kirsty McCall – Fairytale of New York City_

We were all seated at various places around the room. I leaned into Flack as I perched on the arm of Cory's couch as she handed me a small pile of presents from everyone. She did the same with all the others in the room, until everyone was sitting with a small pile of presents in front of them.

Thomas was on Gus's lap squirming attempting to get at his.

"Since Thomas seems so eager to get at his gifts I think we better let him open his now." Cory told the room. There were nods of agreement.

"Carmen, do you want to do this with him?" Gus raised her head, her eyes meeting mine. I gave her a genuine smile.

"I've already been through this once this morning." I told her. "Go ahead."

I watched as Gus helped Thomas unwrap gift after gift. I couldn't help but smile at the small pile he's accumulated.

Off Mac Thomas had received a set of Simple Math jigsaw sets, Stella had gotten him new clothes in which he dug his face into. Matt and Taylor had got him a small singing guitar and a dress up pirate suit (face paint included). Danny had given him a small sized baseball mitt. ("We can teach him to play in the summer." Danny remarked, grinning at Flack.) Cory had got him a Littletouch LeapPad and the books to go with it. Gus had bought him a tiny tiger suit for him to run around in.

"Thank you so much guys." I told everyone as Thomas started pressing buttons on the LittleTouch LeapPad, and was looking at Pooh Bear. There were smiles all around as Cory moved us on to the next set of gifts.

"Mac it's your turn." She said pushing Mac's pile towards him. Mac took the first gift and began to unwrap.

I burst out laughing as Mac unwrapped a snazzy tie of Flacks choice. He raised an eyebrow and held the burnt orange garment against himself. ("I thought you needed more colour in your wardrobe." Was Flack's reply.) From Gus he received a pretty photo frame with a picture of herself and Mac's stepson Reed in it. From Matt and Taylor, he got a small servicing kit for his bass and a singing fish. From Danny, Mac received a navy blue tee shirt with the question "What would Mac Taylor Do?" and a picture of Mac's face on it. ("You and Jack Bauer have a lot in common." Danny sniggered.) Cory's gift was a set of rare jazz records which Mac spent the next few minutes pouring through almost gob smacked. Thomas handed Mac a small samurai sword and started hitting Mac's sword with his own pirate one, causing Mac to chuckle.

"You may not want to open mine near the baby." I told Mac. Mac nodded as Gus reclaimed Thomas who was staring at Mac's gift curiously.

"Carmen…you shouldn't have." He held the samurai sword closer to his face examining the blade.

"I thought you deserved it, besides everyone chipped in a little for it." Mac was staring at us all now, utterly speechless.

"Say thank you Mac." Stella reminded him playfully.

"Thank you. I can't believe you got me this." He said sliding it into the sheath and then placing it in the long black display box.

Matt was next, first he opened Gus's Gun Cleaning Kit ("A member of SWAT can never be too prepared." She laughed.) Danny had gotten him a set of Clint Eastwood DVDs, whilst Flack had gotten Matt a 'Kiss the Cook' apron. He opened my gift of professional cook books. Cory had gotten him a set of exotic spices which fit nicely into the spice rack that Mac had given. It was Stella's gift that made Matt practically gape. Three cooking lessons with a famous chef. ("His number's on the back if you want to give him a call to arrange a time." Stella told him.) Matt was already wearing the chef's hat Thomas had bought.

Stella herself was next. She opened a Full Spa Package from Cory. ("Every girl needs one." Cory ensured Stella.) Flack had gotten her a gift certificate for Tiffany's, to go along with my two tickets to her favourite opera. Matt and Taylor's gifts, were homemade chocolates and a basket of Bodyshop Bath Products. ("For those long days at the lab." Taylor told her.) Danny had bought a set of unique patterned glasses. Thomas's ornate hairclip was already fixed in Stella's curly hair. She'd replaced her previous earrings with the one's that Gus had given her, which went supremely well with the necklace from Mac she was wearing.

It was my turn next. The first gift I unwrapped was from Stella, a bottle of 'Darkness' my favourite perfume. Gus had gotten me a gorgeous white Hermes scarf Taylor had indulged me with sensual bathroom items, she winked as I unwrapped them. Matt had given me a box of home made chocolates. I slapped Flack's hand as he tried to eat one. Cory had gotten me a Full Spa package, I gave her a knowing smile before unwrapping Danny's gift.

"Oh my God." I shrieked. "How did you get this?"

I was waving the framed and signed picture of Rory Cochrane around wildly.

"You'll never guess who happens to be buddies with the guy." Danny grinned at me. I shook my head still stunned.

"Tim Speedle practically grew up with him." Danny confirmed. Flack read the writing on the picture out loud.

"To Carmen, keep on fighting the good fight, love Rory. I am so never gonna hear the end of this Messer, you do know she's going to go home and watch all the Miami Forensics box sets again?" Flack groaned. Mac shook his head at this and pushed his gift towards me.

I unwrapped it carefully and gasped as I opened the box. It was a silver charm bracelet upon each charm a member of the team's name was inscribed.

"Mac…it's beautiful…How?" I couldn't get my words out; I was so touched by his gifts. Mac wrapped an arm around me.

"Merry Christmas." He uttered, pulling me into a hug. As we broke apart, Flack leaned into me and whispered in my ear.

"You'll be getting my present later. I wanted it to be a little bit private." He told me. I nodded as he kissed my forehead.

Gus was up next. Mac took Thomas from her lap as Cory pushed the small pile of gifts towards her.

She opened Thomas's gift first. It was a large packet of orange lollypops. ("He thought he'd return the favour." Flack said with a knowing wink.) Next she opened Danny's gift, it was a boxed bottle of whiskey. She flashed him a grin as she opened Cory's Spa Day gift. Flack had got her an NYPD cap and mug. I'd gotten her a small sparkly pendant, and Stella had chosen tasteful artist's photographs of New Orleans in its prime. Matt's and Taylor's gifts of homemade chocolates and a set of bubble bath made her smile. It was Mac's gift that really touched her heart. As she unwrapped it Mac began to speak.

"I thought you'd want something to remember them by." He stated as she opened the cover of the photo album.

"Oh…It's wonderful." She said, tears glinting in her eyes. The photo album Mac had made for her, contained pictures of her parents and of her Aunt Clare. She raised her head to Mac sniffing.

"I love it. I really do." She told him openly. Mac gave her a loving look.

"It's Flack's turn now." Gus said, clearing her throat and popping her NYPD cap on her head.

Flack was as enthusiastic as a little kid as he began to unwrap his gifts. I could see where Thomas had gotten it from.

Danny's gift was a signed basketball in which Flack couldn't stop grinning at. ("You do know I'm going to beat you this summer Messer." Flack told Danny.) Mac had gotten Flack a set of Jeffery Deaver books. Matt and Taylor had gotten him a Gun Cleaning Kit and a limited edition DVD of Miracle. ("I swear the guy looks just like you!" Taylor exclaimed.) Flack's eyes lit up a he unwrapped the gifts from Stella. In simple black frames she had inserted several pictures. One was of the entire team, including Matt, Taylor and Cory at our wedding reception. The others were separate ones of me, laughing at something someone had said behind the camera and one of Thomas in Flack's arms. ("They're for your desk." Stella said softly, her eyes on Flack's heartfelt smile.) Cory had gotten him a tie rack with a tie that wasn't the least bit offending. Gus had gotten him a bottle of whiskey and Thomas's gift was Flack's favourite aftershave and a water pistol.

"You'll be getting mine later too, I told him winking. Flack raised his eyebrows mischievously.

Next up was Taylor. She swatted Flack with the set of Ghostbusters's DVD's he'd gotten her. ("There is not a chance in hell you can set fire to this." I told her.) As she unwrapped the popcorn maker. She received a 'Members only' cinema pack from Mac. A gorgeous deep red dress from Stella. A Spa Day from Cory, Gus had given her a cocktail making set, whilst Thomas had gotten her a bobbing dog for her car. Danny's present made us all giggle when she unwrapped a Miniature Detective Kit, complete with Sherlock Holmes Hat and a Nancy Drew book.

It was Danny's turn next and he opened his present from Cory first.

"Bella…" he breathed lifting out the signed by Babe Ruth baseball from the box. He drew Cory to him kissing her lips softly.

"Open your other presents." She demanded smiling.

From Matt Danny received an Italian style cookbook, Taylor gave him the Godfather Trilogy. Off me and Flack, he got hockey tickets and a remote control car. Danny raised his eyebrows at Mac's gift. It was a set of dog tags with Danny's name and CSI rank inscribed on them. It was apparent that Mac thought of Danny as if his own son, and this proved it. Danny opened Stella's parcel and lifted out a designer shirt, whilst Gus and Thomas's gifts were bottles of whiskey.

At last it was the hostess's turn. Danny handed Cory the first of her presents. I raised my eyebrows as she opened the little blue box. She squealed out loud, waving paper around in her hand as she threw herself at Danny, before showing the paper to the rest of the room.

"Season tickets to the Yankees." She exclaimed, before opening her other gifts.

From me was a set of antique earrings, Flack had bought her a Stetson, whilst Matt had given her a box of homemade chocolates. Cory grinned at Taylor's gift of tickets to the Lion King and Stella's gift certificate for lingerie. Gus had gotten Cory a Spa Day Pack and Thomas's gift was a brand new set of lipsticks. It was Mac's gift that surprised Cory the most. Open tickets back to Texas.

"Mac, you shouldn't have." Cory murmured studying them. Mac simply smiled as she gave him a warm hug. She drew away clapping her hands together.

"It's time for dinner y'all."

------------------------

I was curled up after dinner, my head resting on Flack's arm when Matt erupted from the bathroom wearing Thomas's eye patch and having painted a moustache on himself in black with the face paints. I rose my eyebrows as Thomas appeared at his side, a similar moustache painted on his face, pirate hat perched on his head and a waving the little pirate sword. Across the room Danny had Cory's Stetson planted on his head and Flack's water pistol in his hand. I laughed as Matt swooped Thomas on to his shoulders while he welded his sword in Danny's direction. Mac winked at me as we watched the rest of the family play.

-------------------

It was late when we finally got home; Thomas was already asleep in Flack's arms as I opened the door, putting all the presents in a neat pile next to the tree. I closed the front door as Flack carried the tiny boy into his bedroom and set him in the cot. I trailed after them, watching from the door way as Flack pulled the covers over Thomas and watched the peaceful raise of his chest. He turned almost surprised to see me standing in the door way.

"Do you want your gift yet?" I asked as he moved towards me. I shut the door to Thomas's bedroom behind us, before moving into ours. Flack opened the drawer of his bedside table as I sat down on the bed. My gift to him was already in my hands, as we swapped.

I unwrapped his gift carefully, inside was a white envelope. I opened it studying the contents carefully.

"How?" I asked in wonderment as the tickets and the brochure fell onto my lap.

"It's one of the last gigs he's playing so I thought why not make it special." He told me honestly grinning. I examined the tickets again. Two to go see Bryan Adams, plane tickets to Canada and a long weekend in one of it's most exclusive hotels. I was dumbfounded.

"Carmen, how did you get this?" Flack asked me astounded as he held up the signed hockey jersey. I shrugged at him, grinning playfully.

"You are the most amazing wife!" he growled reaching for me across the bed. His body pressed against my body as his lips caressed mine. The tickets slipped from my hand, before I began to tug his shirt off.


	14. Chapter 14: Just Another Name

**AN:**** I have to hand Sparkcsi a glass of champagne for her help with this storyline, it was one of the hardest ones to write and she stuck by me, encouraging and helping me all the way through. So thank you darling! x**

Chapter Fourteen

_There's a hole in your logic,  
You who know all the answers,  
You claim science ain't magic,  
And expect me to buy it_

_The Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr A_

Cory was tapping her pen on the table gently when Jacobson entered, a steaming mug of coffee in both hands. Cory gave him a grateful smile as he set one down in front of her. Her eyes were running down the list in front of her, frustrated.

"How's it going?" Jacobson asked, sliding into the seat across from her. Cory shook her head, nibbling at her pen lid.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do. The only way to figure out if they did put a hit out on Mac is to put someone undercover." Cory circled a name.

"The problem is, we wouldn't be able to give them any back up, they'd pretty much be out there on their own and I don't feel comfortable about that." Cory confessed. Jacobson shrugged.

"They all knew the risks of the job I don't see why it's a problem." He peered at Cory's list of names from his upside down position.

"Why have you put Carmen Devine on there?" he asked as Cory hurriedly crossed out the name on the paper.

"I thought she'd be perfect for the role, but I can't do it to her. She has a family now, a husband and a kid. I can't do that to her, it's not fair to put her in that position."

"Surely it's her job though. You're putting a promotion at risk for this." Jacobson reminded her. Cory gave him a cool smile.

"Some things are more important than promotions." She stated standing up and moving towards her filing cabinet.

"I'll catch the bastard some other way." Cory muttered to herself as she slipped the list into the cabinet, before returning to her desk and grabbing her hand bag.

"Now if you excuse me Agent Jacobson, I'm late meeting my boyfriend." she told him ushering Paul Jacobson out of her office and locking the door behind her.

------------------

I slipped into the chair next to Adam in the AV Lab, handing him the bag of muffins I'd just picked up, along with his share of the steaming coffee I'd collected.

"You are a godsend." He moaned, biting into the chocolate muffin.

"Says the guy who's just spent most of his day surveying security cameras for my case." I returned contented, biting into my own muffin.

"They really are chocolately heaven." I uttered. Adam nodded his agreement

"So how's the gift I got you and Flack for Christmas?" Adam asked, swivelling in my direction on his chair.

"The dance mat is awesome; you should have seen Taylor and Gus battling it out the other day." I told him grinning at the memory.

"I aim to please." Adam told me, a smug grin spreading across his face. Adam was one of the coolest guys I'd ever met. He'd been nice to me ever since I was a tough little newbie in the crime lab. He always had a kind word to say, and it warmed my heart. He was like the little brother I'd never had. We shared war stories, mine from my previous marriage and him from his childhood. I was fiercely protective over Adam since he'd told me about his father.

There was a knock on the door behind us; we both swivelled to face the door still in our chairs.

"I'm looking for Detective Carmen Devine." I raised my eyes to the Fed in front of me, my gaze hardened. I rose to my feet.

"That would be me."

"I'd like a word in private. Maybe in your office." I frowned at him, I turned my head to Adam, who was looking at the Fed, uncertainty in his face. The presence of Feds generally created a feeling of unease in the crime lab, unless it was Cory, of course.

"I'll take you to my office." I told him, returning Adam's uneasiness.

The agent closed the door behind him when we stepped into my office. I knew he meant business from his body language. He was as tense as hell. I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at him, as he lingered by the door.

"How can I help you Agent…" it struck me suddenly that I didn't know his name.

"Agent Jacobson." He didn't reach out to shake my hand, or extend any form of greeting. He simply stood there, briefcase in hand.

"Well, what can I do for you?" I asked him, shuffling some papers around so I could sit on my desk.

"I'm here on behalf of Agent Reid. She wanted to come herself but in a situation like this we have to go through the proper channels, and that's why you've got me." I raised an eyebrow at his confident speech.

I was thrown by his words. I would have thought that Cory would have called me to let me know an agent was coming at least.

"As you know the attempted murder of Mac Taylor has been high on our list of priorities and we have painstakingly worked as hard as we can on this case, and we think we've found where the hit came from." I stared at him blankly. I wasn't expecting to hear about this case ever again until they'd caught the perpetrator.

I hopped off my desk as Jacobson moved over to it and spread his briefcase on it, before flicking the locks open.

"We think that this gang sanctioned the hit on Mac Taylor." He showed me the heading of a document, before explaining who the Red Hand Commandos were, and why they'd want Mac dead. I listened to him patiently, waiting until he finished before speaking.

"What does this have to do with me? Not that I'm not glad you're sharing." I said, analysing his face. It was blank as it had been throughout our whole exchange.

"We suspect them but we have no evidence." Jacobson said simply. I tilted my head confused.

"I don't get it." I told him honestly.

"We need someone to go undercover and get that information for us. Look Cory couldn't come here and ask you herself, so she had to get me to do it because of all the red tape. I must have misread the relationship you have with Mac Taylor. Cory told me he was like a father to you…"

"He is." I growled.

"We'd like you to go undercover for us and determine if it was them that put the hit out. That's all. You'll have our full support." I couldn't tell who he was trying to reassure me or himself.

"I have a husband and a child…" Jacobson interrupted me.

"And we completely understand that. Cory wouldn't have picked you if she hadn't taken that into consideration." I felt my jaw clench, wondering what the hell Cory was playing at. I knew this was important. I wanted Mac to be safe. I was thinking about this deeply.

"As long as the person who ordered that hit is out there, Mac won't be safe. Do you want that? What if they injure someone else trying to get to him?" I felt like a caged animal. I was absolutely trapped and Jacobson knew it. I sighed.

"What's the story?" I asked him.

"Your colleagues, your boss, your husband will think that the FBI is borrowing you to work in a lab in Quantico, Virginia for a few weeks. The reality…we have an informant already set up to ease you into the group. You're still Carmen Devine. An ex-cop whose lost faith in the justice system and have joined them because you want to do something about it." I stared at him; feeling like the earth was slipping from underneath my feet.

"So I can't tell my husband?" Jacobson shook his head, fixing me with his steely gaze.

"You can not tell anyone. The more people who know about this, the more of a risk we're out at losing the person who put the hit out on Mac and you don't want that do you?" I shook my head, ignoring the urge to growl him.

"You are to report to me and me only; any details about this case go to me. If you talk to Cory about it, she could lose her job. She's running the case but you can have no contact because of your relationship with her. Understood?" I nodded my reply, feeling anger spilling inside me.

"When do I start?" I asked him, as politely as I could muster.

"I'll call you with the details of our first meeting. In the meantime, I'm going to talk to your boss about a transfer to Virginia; it's got to look real." I bit my lip and narrowed my eyes as Agent Jacobson reached for the door handle, something didn't feel right, but I knew that I had to do this. He paused.

"Oh and Detective Devine. Thank you for this opportunity." Jacobson said. I frowned at his choice of words, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm not doing this for you." I retorted as Jacobson turned his back on me and stepped towards Mac's office. He was not going to be pleased. Saying that neither was Flack.


	15. Chapter 15: The Last Minutes

Chapter Fifteen

_Oh women you make me feel like I'm on fire_

_Oh woman you make it real, it's the only way for me._

_So if we sometimes fight, doesn't mean we've got problems_

_Ain't always black and white_

_Who cares anyway?_

_Duran Duran – Serious_

A week later I was folding my clothes to put into the wheelie suitcase that was lying open on the bed. Preoccupied, I didn't hear the front door open or Flack slip into the bedroom until I saw his dark shape lingering in the doorway. I raised my eyes, watching him watching me.

"I don't want another argument if that's what you've come back for." I commented, tearing my gaze away from him and looking down at my packing.

This week I'd literally had it all; Upon hearing about my "transfer" Mac had practically dragged me into his office and interrogated the hell out of me.

Was the FBI forcing me into this? It was entirely my choice whether I chose to go or not. Don't let them bully me. I could tell him anything. I'd pretty much ended up assuring him this was my own choice and it would be a challenge to work for the FBI.

This had basically continued all week, not only from Mac. But from Stella, Danny and everyone else. Adam's puppy dog eyes had driven me almost to the point of blurting out I didn't want to go. Yet it was Flack, as I had suspected, that was taking this the hardest.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to tell him before the story of my departure was around the precinct in a blaze of wild fire. So when Gus asked Flack why I was leaving, she'd gotten an earful and Flack had ended up storming into my office and having it out with me.

The row was furious and had resulted in him staying at Danny's place that night. He was upset, not just because I was leaving for a few weeks, but because I hadn't consulted him, or even told him. He was the last to know so to speak. I knew that had cut him deep.

Flack stepped towards me, now in the bedroom, and picked up his NYPD shirt off the bed that I had neatly folded.

"Are you taking this?" he asked, staring at it in his hand. I met his gaze, feeling my heart wrench.

"I want something to make me feel that I'm close to you." I admitted, taking it from his hand and putting it on top of everything else in the suitcase. I zipped the suitcase up and managed top drag it off the bed and set it down next to me.

"I'll drive you…" he said suddenly, reaching out and taking my hand. I knew this was hard for him. I shook my head, choking down the lump in my throat. I pulled away and turned my back so he couldn't see the tears rising in my eyes.

"They're sending a car for me in the next few minutes." I told him, wrapping my arms around myself. I felt his presence behind me, before his arms were around my waist pulling me against him. He rested his head on my shoulder.

His voice was low as he spoke.

"I'll update you on what happens here. I know it maybe hard to get in touch with but I'll leave a voicemail to fill you in on all the gossip." He tried to joke, it fell flat when I could hear the pain in his voice.

I'd told him previously that it may be hard to get in touch with me because of all the hours the FBI would have me working, it would always be best to ring my cell phone and I'd return the message as soon as possible.

"Thank you." I wiped the remnants of tears from my eyes and sniffed before turning around to face him, and wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands held me close and tightly. I felt like my heart was breaking. Could he ever forgive me for lying to him like this?

I took a step back, feeling tears overwhelm me.

"I've already said goodbye to Thomas. Gus and Mac will be over every so often to help out. Taylor and Matt are going to drop in whenever they can to give you a bit of a break and…" Flack cupped my chin, looking into my eyes.

"Carmen, I know." He told me. He bent his head, his lips brushed mine timidly. I pressed my eyes tightly together. I didn't want to leave, but I owed Mac this. Flack was the first to pull away.

"Now you go show those Feds that our crime lab has the best damn CSI's in the country." He prep talked me, adding a wink on the end. I couldn't stop the smile creeping across my face. His arms were still around me, drawing me closer. My phone rang, breaking the moment. We jumped apart as I checked the caller ID.

"It's them…I have to…" I trailed off as Flack handed me my coat off the bed, and helped me into it.

"Now be good." He warned me, kissing my mouth lightly, before helping me to the door with my suitcase.

"We'll miss you." He told me as he drew me into a final squeeze.

"I'll miss you too." I whispered. After one last kiss I was taking off with my suitcase towards the elevators of my apartment building.

---------------------

Agent Jacobson was driving the car; I slipped my suitcase into the trunk before climbing into the back seat.

Jacobson's eyes met mine in the mirror.

"Everything go all right, Detective Devine?" he asked as I slammed the car door shut.

"I'm surprised you don't know the answer to that." I replied dryly. I saw a thin smile cross his face as he shifted the car into gear.

"I'll take you to the place you're going to be calling home the next few weeks, and then I'll brief you there," I turned my head away as he started the engine and stared at the entrance to my apartment building as it began to fade away.

--------------------

My new apartment was smaller than the one I currently occupied with Flack. It was also pretty crappy. The tap leaked, there was a damp spot on the ceiling and that was only the beginning of its problems. I sighed, dropping my suitcase on the bed, it was a double and I already knew I was going to have a problem settling into it. Jacobson was in the joint kitchen and dining area, spreading out the information I needed.

I walked calmly into the dining area, and placed myself next to Agent Jacobson, reviewing the pictures in front of us.

He began to point at different pictures, writing a name underneath each one.

"The main target is Shane O' Reilly, as far as we can tell he's the head of the group. What we need to do first is establish a hierarchy, locate the key members of the organisation, and then we can move on to other things, like their targets."

"And the person who hired the assassin to kill Mac." I reminded him. Jacobson knew the only reason I was tolerating him was because Cory couldn't be here.

"Of course. Now we have an informant already inside the group, he'll be meeting us in fifteen minutes so you guys can become properly acquainted. Your story is that you're an ex-cop who feels the justice system isn't working. They will want you to give them some information to prove your loyalty." He pointed at a broken envelope on the desk.

"In there is information on a local dealer, he murdered two fourteen year old girls. That should be enough to ease your transition into the group; of course they'll want more."

"We will meet at least once a week; I will leave a voicemail on your cell with a place. At each rendezvous I will give you more information and you will give me what you have." I nodded my response as I stared at the pictures around the table.

"How reliable is your informant?" I asked curiously. Jacobson frowned at my question.

"I've never had a problem with him in the past; he'll protect your identity, but make sure you watch your back. You can never be too careful." I gave him a guarded look. None of this felt right, I couldn't figure out why.

"I'll need your keys, and badge." I was grinding my teeth as I handed them over. He slipped them into another envelope and set it inside his briefcase.

"I have a meeting I need to attend, our informant will be here in five minutes, he'll fill you in on the first meeting, and I'll call with a rendezvous." He told me packing up the things he needed into his briefcase.

"Good luck Detective Devine." He said before closing the door to the apartment. I pulled my gun from the shoulder holster I was wearing, thankful for the fact he'd let me keep my firearm.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol we're moving on to the major storyline and the whole thing starts to get a bit bumpy. I love Tom too! Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot. X_

_Sparkycsi: lol I'll definitely be throwing them your way after tonight may get a few done over the weekend and send them out. I have to finish this essay and then I'm all yours. I got both challenges and I will be addressing both of them soon enough. Just need to get this last essay out the way. x_


	16. Chapter 16: Since You've Been Gone

**AN:**** I'm getting a little discouraged by the amount of reviews I've been getting. I know everyone is busy, it's the Xmas period and deadlines are coming up and such, but I have worked really hard on this story and esp on this storyline so it would do me a little encouragement to continue if some more of you reviews. So I decided when I get five reviews, I'll post the next chapter! Also special thanks to sparkycsi for help with the ins and outs!**

Chapter Sixteen

_They're complicated people, _

_Leading complicated lives_

_And he complicates their problems_

_Telling complicated lies_

_Barenaked Ladies – The Flag_

The air down by the river was freezing. Although I was bundled up, it still bit at me through my clothes. I had no idea why Jacobson had wanted to meet down here. I leaned over the railing and looked into the swirling blackness underneath me.

The transition into the group had gone well. My contact Eddy was a well built black man, who obviously lifted weights. I had asked Jacobson why he needed me if he already had an informant inside the gang. He looked at me with a glare in his eyes and simply stated that Eddy wasn't part of the inner circle and he felt that I had a better shot of getting close to O'Reilly.

Eddy and I clicked instantly upon first meeting and I knew he had my back. He had been the one to stick up for me when O'Reilly had questioned my reliability. He stated he'd known me for years and that I was continuously frustrated by the justice system. Which apparently was all they needed.

They kept me out of the loop for the first week, which was understandable to test my information. Once everything had proved to be right, I was invited into their inner circle, where I met O'Reilly face to face.

"You're late." I muttered as Jacobson appeared beside me, also peering into the dark water.

"What do you have for me?" he asked. I turned my head in time to see a greedy glint in his eye. I handed him the envelope.

"There's the list of everyone in the inner circle, people they have coming over in the next few weeks and their current projects." I told him assertively.

"You work pretty fast Devine." He said, analysing my features. I shrugged before turning to my attention back to the water.

"O'Reilly likes me." Was all I said. It was pretty much true, over the past few weeks O'Reilly had been sharing a lot more with me than I thought he ever would, showing me the workings and plans they had going on for the future. Of course he wanted something in return. At the moment I was barely managing to keep it at a flirting level.

Two days ago O'Reilly had practically pinned me against a wall and asked me why shouldn't he just take what he wanted. My level head and teasing tone had been the only thing that had gotten me out of that situation.

"Maybe he sees a mate in you. Use that to your advantage, Devine. The closer you get to him, the easier it will be to get information out of him."

I snorted in shock at his words, realizing that he had just told me to break my wedding vows and sleep with the enemy. "That's what I'm concerned about." I admitted. "He has the potential to be quite violent."

I paused for a second, taking a deep breath before I spoke.

"I want out." The words created an awkward silence between the two of us.

"You can't." Jacobson uttered. My head snapped towards him.

"We're almost there, I'm positive any day now he's going to tell you about the hit on Mac." I shook my head at his words, wind whipping my hair around my face.

"I've already asked him, he doesn't know anything about the hit. He admitted it would benefit him for Mac to be killed, but he didn't order it …" I recounted.

"You said yourself they're planning something big, we need to know what that is."

"And I said I can't help you, my involvement was to secure the person who ordered a hit on Mac Taylor, it's pretty much apparent that it wasn't this group." I argued.

"You're involved now, don't you get it? You need to hang on a little bit longer, we need to know what their planning. Cory thinks your doing a really great job with this and it's important to her that you keep hanging in there." At least Cory's thoughts made me feel a little better.

"It's getting too dangerous; I am inches, literally inches away from O'Reilly leaping on me. He's started making surprise visits to the apartment. The only reason he hasn't had the chance is because Eddy makes sure I'm never alone with him!" I was practically shouting now. Jacobson touched my arm gently in attempt to sooth me.

"Just a few more weeks and you can go back to your family I promise." Jacobson's voice was quiet. I felt the anger and fear rush out of my body as I hung my head defeated.

"If it gets worse I'm pulling the plug." I told him. Jacobson nodded furiously in response to my statement. I let out a deep sigh as I watched him walk away.

Flack

Thomas was howling loudly, the noise was echoing around the apartment as it had been for the past few weeks. Ever since Carmen had left just over a month ago, Thomas had been calling for her and pitching screaming fits.

"I know little guy, I miss her too but you have to get over it for now." He told the screaming child bouncing him up and down.

Thomas didn't stop screaming. Flack heard the key in the lock and turned around to face Gus as she pushed the door open carrying all the groceries. He'd given her a key over three weeks ago and since then she'd been helping with the chores and taking care of Thomas since he couldn't fit everything around his schedule.

"God, are you ok?" Gus said dropping the groceries onto the kitchen table. Flack shook his head as she reached for Thomas, taking the shrieking baby from his hands.

"You go into the kitchen and I'll handle this." she told him. He gave her a haunted look before dredging into the kitchen and beginning to put the groceries away.

It was getting worse. He knew that the whole situation was beginning to drive him insane. Thomas spent most the daytime screaming for his mother, who was God knows where, doing God knows what in Virginia. He put his hands to his head, rubbing his temples. The stress was killing him. Carmen still didn't know how long she was going to be away for.

He felt bad asking Gus to help out every time he needed someone, but the truth was she was the only one he could face asking at the moment. She was looking tired and thinner these days, which was worrying not only him but Mac as well. Despite this, she was always there when he needed groceries or help with Thomas or anything.

Carmen leaving wasn't just affecting Thomas, it was affecting him too. He still rolled over in the night expecting her to be there lying next to him. Most nights he was wide awake staring at her pillow and the empty space where she was supposed to sleep. In turn because of this, he wasn't getting any sleep, which was adding to the whole situation.

Flack put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes for the minute. Thomas was beginning to settle down now. Gus was the only person who could sooth Thomas when he was like this. He had no idea how she did it. Flack shook his head wishing more than ever that Carmen was here.

_**GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I'm glad I've done Gus justice. Since their not dating I thought she would a great friend for Flack to turn to when he needed someone. Your right it is hard to write. Me and sparkycsi spent hours trying work out all the details. Thanks for the review!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol it just gets worse and worse for them. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: lol you should indulge yourself in a few different stories lol._

_Sanghian: Hey, I noticed I red a few of your blogs last night. She is a complete bitch! Is interesting good or bad?_


	17. Chapter 17: Two Sides to Every Story

**AN:**** lol thankies to all of you who reviewed, I feel all fuzzy inside and a bit more encouraged. I can appreciate that a lot if people are busy this time of year but I am going to stick with the five reviews and then a new chapter rule. Lol I am also listen to Fairytale of New York and swaying along.**

Chapter Seventeen

_Well Since I Come Home, _

_Well My Body's Been A Mess, _

_And I Miss Your Ginger Hair, _

_And The Way You Like To Dress. _

Oh Wont You Come On Over, 

_Stop Making A Fool Out Of Me, _

_Oh Why Don't You Come On Over, _

_Valerie._

_Amy Winehouse – Valerie_

Flack

"It's an absolute nightmare Danny it really is. I have no idea what the hell they have her doing down there, but she never answers her phone, it goes straight to voicemail and I barely know what's she's doing. Nah, don't talk to Cory about it. I'm sure she'll be back soon." Flack told Danny, cradling the cell phone between his chin and his shoulder, whilst folding the laundry on the kitchen table.

"I'm fine for the minute; Gus is here at the moment with his lordship. She's been amazing Dan, really she has. Thomas has been doing ok, he's started to settle down a little now, it's been five weeks and I think he's starting to get used to it. He had a fever before but I've been giving him that kid's medicine stuff Carmen had in the cabinet. If I need anything I promise I'll call. Really Danny I will." Flack said earnestly before hanging up and setting his cell phone down on the table while he continued to fold Thomas' tiny clothing.

He raised his head as Gus erupted into the room, cradling Thomas in her arms. The expression on her face made him stop dead. His heart began to pound.

"Flack, I think we need to get Thomas into hospital, right now." Flack was beside her in a heartbeat, his hand immediately going to his son's head.

"Shit." He said, seeing a tiny purple blemish on Thomas's arm. The closer he looked the more he could see.

"What the hell is that?" he asked her throwing his coat on and grabbing his keys.

Gus's gaze met his evenly She was pale and she looked more frightened than he had ever seen her.

"Gus?" Flack questioned, his emotions were almost uncontrollable as they washed over him. She was frightening him.

"I think it's meningitis." Flack simply blinked before yanking open the front door and holding it open for her. Gus pushed past him carrying Thomas and rushing towards the elevators, Flack two steps behind her his phone out and already dialling.

Flack jabbed the elevator button as he went straight through to Carmen's voice mail.

"As soon as you get this message call me Carmen, it's urgent. Thomas is sick and we're taking him to the hospital." Flack slammed his phone shut, frustrated as hell.

He held the car door open for Gus, who climbed in and was trying to wake Thomas up now. Flack put the key in the ignition, before getting his phone out again and calling the switchboard to get a direct line to Quantico.

----------------------

The room was silent as O'Reilly spoke. His gaze fell on me as he spoke, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. The pressure to become his bed warmer was increasing. Literally the only thing stopping him was the fact Eddy has now taken to sleeping in my apartment.

Over the last five weeks, Eddy and I had forged a friendship, I watched his back, he watched mine and he definitely did not like the way the FBI was actually treating me or O'Reilly's attempts to get me into bed. He knew I had a son and husband at home, as I knew he had a wife and son back where he lived as well. The FBI was paying him good money to be here for the minute, which was keeping his family afloat.

I darted out of my reverie seeing Mac Taylor's face on the screen in front of me.

"First stage of the plan would have been to kill this man, unfortunately someone tried that before us and now security as been upped on Detective Taylor, we can't get near him. So this is our target." A picture of Police Chief Sinclair flashed up on the screen. I clenched my jaw knowing my eyes were pretty wide.

"For one day every month Police Chief Sinclair disappears for a period of four hours. His wife thinks he's working, his work thinks he's with his wife, when the reality is he's with this woman." O'Reilly pointed at a pretty Asian woman, coming out of a hotel with Sinclair. They had some pretty damning evidence.

"Sinclair is at his least protected during this point. His next appointment is next week. There will be a team of three who will enter the hotel under false names and pay with cash. I already have a person undercover in the hotel as a receptionist. He will give the others the card key to Sinclair's room." O'Reilly explained nodding at the three guys at the table in front of them. They were regular members of his inner circle. His right hand men almost. He always kept a team with him, and those three men were it.

Which led me to wonder if it was O'Reilly who would have the gun in his hand.

"The next stage is this man." Another picture appeared on the board. He was Hispanic with a scar down his right cheek.

"Salavdor Elanzis, he's a key member of the Spectors, Their territory is spreading to most of the Bronx now. Their two competitors are the Noche and Bullets. If we take out Salavdor, it will cause instability in the gang and turf war. You may be all wondering what this is leading to…" O'Reilly winked at me as I nodded.

"The NYPD will be spread thinly over the death of their Police Chief and with a gang war breaking out on their territory, which is where you all come in. We're going to stage a mass execution…in Riker's." I don't think my jaw was the only one in the room that dropped.

"For the past year we have been putting people in place inside the prison in order to learn the security detail. In a few weeks every single one of you will be inside Riker's with a gun pointing it at a murderer, a rapist, a paedophile…The list goes on, all of you are here because you were shamed by the justice system as I have been and we will launch our revolution proving that we people, are the new justice system. There was an eruption of applause throughout the room. I was clapping my hands along with them.

My stomach was rolling at the outcome of all this. How the hell did he expect this to work? The logic was actually insane, and it didn't take my CSI skills to see that O'Reilly was practically the Mad Hatter.

As the applause died down the meeting began to disperse, people were flooding out into the other rooms of the house, seeking refreshment. I slipped into the bathroom to check my phone messages.

There were one from Jacobson, four from Flack and two from Gus.

"_Meet you at the usual place."_

"_As soon as you get this message call me Carmen it's urgent. Thomas is sick and we're taking him to the hospital."_

"_Carmen. I need you back here now, he's really sick. Call me when you get this!"_

"_Carmen you son has a high fever and a rash, do you know what this means?! I need you back in New York right now."_

"_I swear I'm divorcing you if you don't pick up this fucking phone!"_

"_Carmen this is Gus. It's important. Please call Flack back."_

"_Carmen, it's Gus. Flack's just really upset right now. We think Thomas has meningitis; Flack is with the Doctor right now. We need you to come home or call one of us."_

I froze with the word Meningitis ringing in my ears. I slid down the back of the bathroom door, my hands over my face, trying to calm my breathing. I had to go. I couldn't leave them both like this.

Flack was borderline desperate at the minute and I could hear the panic in Gus's voice. I had to appear calm. I had to do this right.

I rose to my feet and unlocked the bathroom door before heading directly to Eddy who was sipping form a mug he's manage to get hold of. He froze upon seeing my face.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly, his hand was on my arm guiding me towards a corner of the room.

"My son is sick." Was all I could get out. His eyes were sympathetic as he studied me.

"How bad?" he asked. I shook my head, brushing back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

"My husband thinks its meningitis; they're at the hospital right now." Eddy nodded at my words. I could see that the cogs in his head were turning.

"Go now and I'll cover for you for the next few hours." Eddy told me. I wiped at my eyes again, feeling immensely grateful.

"You're sure?" I asked studying him.

"Go be with your son." Eddy said quietly, giving me a reassuring pat on the back before sending me off into the darkness.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!**_

_Tvjunkie45: The issue at hand is the fact that Carmen never left New York. Everyone thinks she's in Virginia because that's the FBI cover story. Lol as you see in this chapter it just gets worse for them! Thanks for the review._

_StokesSandersSpeedle: What happened? I'm glad she's ok tho, seriously must have been scary for you all! Thanks for taking the time to review. Lol you'll be surprised who it is that gets O'Reilly in the end. Thank you for the review esp with everything that's been going on recently._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol your review really made me smile, so thank you very much. I've just completed all my deadlines so I can take a look at other stories now! Which I'm pretty thankful for!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol just wait for the next few chapters it gets worse for everyone. I am so harsh to my chars. Lol I wanna hug them all too! Thank you for your kind review, it really means a lot to know that this storyline is successful._

_Sparkycsi: lol I loved writing the bit with Jacobson, it's like he absolutely holds no boundaries and I love writing a character driven entirely by ambition! Lol I thought it would be nice for Flack to have a friend who was closer to him then Carmen and Gus already fit in there due to the role she played in NOLA RISING._


	18. Chapter 18: Homeward Bound

**AN: ****Special thanks to Sparkycsi for making this chapter work. Thanks to Axellia for all her reviews, hence the reason I'm treating you guys to another chapter. The rule still applies though. 5 reviews!**

Chapter Eighteen

_If she had wings_

_she would fly away  
And another day god _

_will give her some  
Trouble is the only way is down,__ down, down_

_James Blunt – Carry You Home_

"_**We're home now. We need to talk."**_

Flack's voice was ringing in my ears as I stalked along the corridor towards our apartment door. I reached into my bag searching for my keys and then mentally thudded myself in the forehead when I remembered handing them over five weeks ago to Agent Jacobson. I tapped on the door quietly. My heart was pounding in my chest, despite the fact a deep set weariness was setting in.

The door opened to reveal a dishevelled, red eyed Flack. The air rushed out of me at the sight of him. He looked as if he'd been crying. I stepped inside, my arms moving to comfort him. Flack stepped back away from me, his face clouding with a whole variation of emotions.

I shut the door quietly behind me. The horror of the situation beginning to dawn. I felt my stomach drop as tears began to run down my face. The air rushed out of me as I muttered our son's name. The only thing I could get out.

"Thomas?"

"In his bedroom asleep. After the tests, it turns out it was measles." An immense feeling of relief streamed through me, and suddenly I could breathe normally. The weight in my chest was gone. I watched as Don folded a shirt of Tom's.

"I thought…" I trailed off, looking down at me leather bag that I was clasping in both hands.

_Trouble is her only friend and he's back again_**  
**

"Good, now your're getting a taste of how I've been feeling for the past three hours." He snapped. I could see all the tension in his body, as he threw the clothes into the laundry basket. His normally bright eyes were on me, almost black.

"Where the hell were you? I called you three hours ago when we first went to the hospital. You didn't pick up your phone at all. What the hell were you doing?" He roared at me. I stared at him; feeling tired all of a sudden. I opened my mouth to speak. I didn't even have any idea what I was about to say but Flack cut me off.

"And don't even tell me you were in fucking Virginia, I called them Carmen. They've never even heard of you. There's no file or anything." I stared at him unable to speak. Flack turned his head away from and turned his attention back to the laundry.

"I'll have the divorce papers in the mail after Thomas gets better. I'm sueing for custody of the baby. If you don't owe it to me, then you owe it to him to tell him why you're leaving." Flack told me, slamming down a stack of week old newspapers he'd picked up. I felt a blow to my chest a I tried to piece together what he was saying. Suddenly it clicked.

"You think I'm having an affair?!" I erupted. My hands were on my hips now, handbag lying on the floor.

"That would be the only other explanation to where you've been for the past six weeks, wouldn't it?" he snapped.

"I mean I don't understand. I thought you had everything you wanted and then you go and do this. You think I wouldn't work out what was going on. I'm a cop Carmen, I detect things." Flack shook his head to clear it.

"Anyway this isn't about me, this is about how you betrayed our son. He was sick and needed his mother and you weren't there. You weren't even in Virginia!" He was raging. He'd been under so much stress the past few weeks and I could see it all come pouring out of him. All this time he was putting Thomas first.

Tears were streaming down my face now as I tried to hold it all in. Yet the pressure of the whole six weeks was bearing down on my shoulders up until I exploded.

"I was undercover, Flack!" I blurted out. Don's head started upwards, meeting my gaze as a sob caught in my chest. All the anger that had been masking all the other emotions evaporated as he saw straight into my soul.

"The FBI put me undercover…I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell anyone…" Tears were flowing freely. I put my hands over my face as I began to sob.

"I wanted to be here so much…They wouldn't let me leave. I told them I wanted to go home but they wouldn't let me." I was crying now and I couldn't stop. All the frustration and tears were seeping out into the room.

"Oh Carmen…" His arms wrapped around me tightly. His lips brushing my forehead as I broke down. I buried my head into his chest. He was kissing my hair as if I'd never been away. Flack drew away gently. His hands were on my shoulders as I wiped my eyes. He looked directly at me before uttering the words.

"Tell me everything."

----------------------

"I think I may actually kill her." Flack was seething after I told him everything.

"How dare she do this to you, or to our family! You shouldn't have even been approached." He growled. I could see his head ticking over everything that I'd said.

We were sitting on the couch next to each other. Flack was shaking his head.

"I can't believe I trusted her." Flack said in disbelief. I could tell that the reason he was so angry was because he was hurt. I took his hand as he turned his head towards me.

"I don't think she could see any other way. I could see why she wanted me to do it but I want to come home now. I want to be with you and Thomas. I missed you both so much, it hurt all the time." I admitted.

Flack pulled his hand from mine and wrapped his arms round me so that my head was resting on his chest. I snuggled softly into him, reveling in the heat of his body and familiarity of this.

"I'm so sorry." Flack murmured kissing my nose gently. I pulled back, my arms around his neck so we were face to face.

"It wasn't you fault. I'd feel exactly the same way, especially in the situation you were in." I told him kissing the corner of his mouth. He let out a deep breath closing his eyes. I could feel the tension leaving his body as I kissed along his jaw line, and then down to his neck. It had been six week's since I'd last touched him. I found myself wanting him more than ever right now.

_As strong as you were  
Tender you go  
I'm watching you breathing  
For the last time_

My fingers traced up along his ribs as I lifted the shirt further up. I could feel him shudder beneath my touch. His lips captured mine, all the emotions he'd felt went into that kiss, and I could feel his desperation as he pulled me on top of him.

--------------------

"Do you really have to go?" Flack asked from his position on the sofa. I glanced at him over my shoulder as I tugged my top on. I couldn't help but grin as my gaze swept over him; he was naked except for the blanket that was strewn over his torso.

"I need to get back before they realize I'm missing." I reminded him, as I stepped towards the couch, feeling more in control of myself now. I leant down, letting my lips brush his slowly before pulling away.

"If you don't leave now I'm going to have to ravage you again." Flack groaned as I took a few steps away from him. I laughed out loud before picking up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

"I'm just going to look in on Thomas before I leave." I told Flack. He climbed to his feet, blanket wrapped around his waist, trailing me into Thomas's nursery.

"Hey baby, I missed you." I whispered to the sleeping little boy. He stirred as I kissed the top of his head. I smiled, watching the raise and fall of his chest.

Flack was in the hallway when I turned around.

"I'll see you to the door." His boyish grin was on his face as he clutched the blanket around his waist. I reached up on tiptoes and kissed him again.

"I'll be home in a few days." I told him as he opened the door.

"I'll be looking forward to it." He told me with a wink. I could feel his eyes on me all the way to the elevator at the end of the hall.

_And they're all born pretty  
in New York City tonight  
and someones little girl  
was taken from the world tonight  
under the Stars and Stripes_

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES**_

_Bluehavan4220: __lol by now you've seen what's happened to Thomas, I was debating for a few minutes having Thomas die, but I couldn't do it to them both. Esp with what's coming up now. I had a feeling Flack wuld never have forgiven Carmen and Cory. Thanks for the review!_

_ForestAngel: lol I enjoyed writing a character whose actions were malicious because of his ambitions. Your review was lovely, thank you._

_Tvjunkie45: lol I didn't make it terribley clear about the fact that she was in NY so don't worry._

_Sparkycsi: lol thankies the chapters are a little bit of fluff. I'll explain the Linds thing in a minute and see what your thoughts are._

_Axellia: I love your reviews their always so humerious. Couldn't help but get the CSI: Miami jibe in there, Kris was the one that came up with Miami Forensics. Lol we literally spent ages making a spreadsheet of everything and it worked really well, I am so thankful she was helping me. Lol I will propbably do both at some point but not at the min. lol well you've seen what Carmen and Flack's reactions were, what do you think?! Thanks for the mass reviews too!_


	19. Chapter 19: Keep Bleeding

Chapter Nineteen

_But nothing's greater  
Than the rush that comes with your embrace  
And in this world of loneliness  
I see your face  
Yet everyone around me  
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe_

_Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love_

"Eddy you won't believe this…" I called into the apartment as I closed the door behind me. I turned around, fear clamping down on my chest. A hand covered my mouth to keep me from screaming out loud at the sight of O'Reilly standing over Eddy a gun pressed to his head.

Behind me McCoy grabbed my wrists in his free hand, and released my mouth to put his hand on the back of my neck. His boot kicked the back of my legs, driving me to my knees in front of him.

Eddy's face was already a mix of black and blue. His face was a mask of blood and I could see he was having trouble breathing. Sickness rolled around my stomach as Eddy's eyes widened at the sight of me.

"Ah Eddy looks like she's back. You can relax a little now." O'Reilly holstered the gun. He stepped around Eddy and up to me.

"And where have you been lass?" O'Reilly's hand grabbed my chin forcing me to look up at him. I glared as he forced me to meet his hazel eyes.

"My son was sick. I went to go see him." My head turned at the force of his hand striking my cheek.

He grabbed my chin again as I tasted blood in my mouth. He yanked my face to meet his gaze.

"I had you tailed lass. You went to go see a cop, son of the NYPD legend if I'm not mistaken." I stared at O'Reilly as open as I could be.

"He's the father of my son, we're separated…" Another resounding crack echoed through the air. I was seeing stars now as my vision flickered for a second.

O'Reilly was screaming at me now, but it was hard to hear his words over the roaring in my ears.

"Found pictures and notes in the drawer by your bedside." It was hard to focus on him as he drew back his hand and slapped me again. I spat blood on the floor as my head rolled onto my shoulder.

"My son. I only wanted to see my son." I muttered as I felt the blood swirling around my mouth. O'Reilly shook his head before crouching down to me.

"I'm sorry lass, but you won't be able to see your son, you know too much. I think it's time to show her what we do to informants lads." He grinned, cracking his knuckles before rising to his feet. I closed my eyes preparing myself for the beating.

"McCoy, hold her steady. Proctor, Murphy you can give me a hand." O'Reilly barked as he stood over Eddy who was trying to crawl away across the floor.

"NO!" I was straining against the grip McCoy had on me. His hands were locked firm on my arms so I couldn't move; I couldn't help Eddy as O'Reilly dealt the first kick to his side.

_Trying hard not to hear  
But they talk so loud  
Their piercing sounds fill my ears  
_

I could feel the vomit working its way up my throat as Murphy stamped on the side of Eddy's head. The tears were running down my face, as I choked, struggling and shrieking.

_You cut me open and I keep bleeding_

I could hear myself screaming Eddy's name and begging them to stop. The blood was everywhere, even on me. McCoy's grip on my arms slipped causing me to fall to the ground on all fours, before I knew it I was vomiting my guts on to the carpet.

This was my fault.

_Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding_

Eddy's dead eyes were staring at me from my position on the floor as I raised my head. I found myself unable to breath, and unable to tear myself away. I was shaking and I couldn't stop. I knew shock was setting in.

Strong arms grabbed hold of mine. A pinprick on my neck rendered me into an even deeper panic as I tried to fight against them.

_You cut me open and I keep bleeding._

Exhaustion was taking over me as I tried to fight, my legs went from underneath me and I could feel the tears dripping from my chin as my body failed to respond. My body went limp. An arm encircled my waist as my head tiled forward on its own accord, my eyes fluttered closed sinking me into the darkness.


	20. Chapter 20: Blood, Sweat and Tears

**AN: ****Special thanks to sparky for the last part of this chapter, I had problems with it and she helped it along. Thanks for when it gets too hard to get in to Cory and Danny's heads. Five review rule people!**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far, you guys are the best!**

Chapter Twenty

_I'm looking at you through the glass_

_Dunno how much time has passed_

_All I know is that it feels like forever_

_And none ever tells you that forever feels like home _

_Sitting all alone inside your head._

_Stone Sour – Through The Glass_

"Whoa this is a mess." Danny said stepping under the crime scene tape and actually into the scene. Blood was congealing on the floor, pooling around the victim. Danny sidestepped the trail of vomit and came to a standing position next to Mac and Flack who were surveying the scene from the intact area.

"Someone did a number on this guy." Flack said before flipping open his notebook and beginning to scan his notes before addressing the other two men.

"No idea who the victim is, neighbours said he was staying here with a woman, no accurate description on her other than she is Caucasian with red hair, at the moment." Flack told them shaking his head.

"No sign of her yet." Mac told Danny as his phone began to ring. He snatched it up and placed it to his ear.

Danny's eyes were taking in the scene cataloguing the evidence in his mind before opening his mouth to speak to Flack as he opened his camera case.

"Gus said that you guys had to go to hospital last night, is everything ok?" Danny asked, raising his camera to take a picture of the body slumped in a heap on the floor.

"Thomas was sick, I thought it was meningitis; it turned out to be measles." Flack shrugged.

"He's doing fine now, just cranky at the moment. Stella's taking care of him today."

"Did you get in touch with Carmen last night?" A grin spread across Flack's face at the memory of the time he'd spent with her the night before. He chose his answer carefully, not wanting to lie to his friend.

"She said she was coming home in a few days." Danny glanced at Flack over his shoulder with a knowing smile.

"She's been away far too long." Danny said openly. Flack scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Don't I know it." He replied. Mac snapped his phone shut. His mouth was set in a grim line.

"There's another scene over in Coney Island I need to be at. Danny, collect all the evidence here and I'll see you back at the lab." Mac said, before disappearing under the bright yellow tape.

------------------

The morgue was eerie and silent as Danny stood next to Sid looking down at the body in front of him.

"So what do we have, Doc?" Danny asked crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at the young black man in front of him.

"This man was beaten to death." Sid said pointing at the rib cage of the body.

"He has several broken ribs, there's even a boot imprint on the skin here." Danny moved for a closer inspection and was surprised to see that Sid was right.

"Whoever did this was brutal, he was tortured beforehand. Three of his fingers were broken, and there were several contusions on his arms that looked like cigarette burns. Whoever did this wasn't playing." Sid told Danny shaking his head.

"Some of the bruising on his ribs was different from the others, indicating that there was at least one other person involved maybe two. His skull is fractured, and his brain was haemorrhaging. There's no doubt that someone wanted him to suffer."

Sid handed Danny an evidence bag.

"I also found some trace on his head and on the body. I sent it to Adam to process. Any idea who this guy is?" Sid asked Danny curiously. Danny shook his head thoughtfully.

"We're running his prints through AFIS." Danny told Sid, holding the evidence bag in his hands and staring down at it. Something wasn't right, and he couldn't put his finger on it.

---------------------

Flack had just stepped onto the floor of the Crime Lab when he saw Danny hurry towards Mac's office a look of horror on his face. Something in his chest tightened, causing him to dart through the lab. He pushed open the door to Mac's office as Danny slapped a DNA profile onto the desk; he caught a glimpse of a familiar name as he heard Danny's words.

"I think we have a situation." He told Mac.

"What's going?" Flack erupted as panic began to twist in his chest. He closed the door behind him, as Danny turned around, clearly stunned by the appearance of the detective.

"You're sure?" Mac asked raising his eyes to Danny. Danny nodded, before either could speak the door of Mac's office slammed open again revealing a breathless Adam.

"Mac! I think Carmen's in trouble!" he exclaimed as Flack's head shot up, jaw clenching.

"Will somebody tell me what's going on?!" Flack burst out. Mac was on his feet, following Adam towards the AV Lab. His gaze met Flack's head on, as he placed a reassuring hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I'm not sure yet, I'll have to see what Adam's got before we start piecing things together." Flack growled in frustration, following Mac to the AV lab.

"I was checking out the ATM video that overlooks the entrance to the apartment building, to see if there was any sign of the killer and this is what I found."

Adam pressed a button fast forwarding to the point when a blurred group appeared moving towards the entrance of the apartment building. He enhanced the image.

"There are four of them." Adam said as they watched the men enter the building. Adam fast forwarded to an hour later, the video showing Carmen scurrying into the apartment building. She was smiling as she entered. Flack felt his heart clench in his chest.

"Now I fast forwarded an hour later and this is what I have." The same four men were walking towards the exit of the building.

"I noticed one of them was carrying something, so I enhanced it and that something turned out to be somebody when I enhanced it again." Carmen was in the arms of one of the men. Her whole body was limp; blood was splattered across her face.

The four men watched in silence as Carmen was bundled into the car and it drove away. A door slammed behind them, each turned to see that Flack was no longer in the room.

Danny caught up with Flack as he strode towards the elevator his face an unrestrained mask of fury.

"Don? Where are you going? I thought Carmen was in Virginia. This doesn't make sense. Her fingerprints and DNA were all over the apartment. She'd been living there for a while and she matches the description the woman that was living with our vic." Danny paused for a second, but continued when Flack didn't do anything other than step into the empty elevator. "Was she having an affair?"

A muscle jumped in Flack's jaw and he turned and glared at Danny, feeling the rage overwhelm him. "Don't you dare say anything like that again, Messer," he growled.

Danny stepped back when he saw the fury in Flack's eyes, but he persisted. "I'm just looking at the evidence, man."

"Maybe you should start looking at your bitch of a girlfriend," Flack stated, his voice laced with acid.

"What the hell does Cory have to do with this?" Danny exclaimed in surprise.

"That bitch is the reason that Carmen is missing," Flack began, feeling himself unable to stop until he had unloaded his rage. "She convinced Carmen to go undercover, not even letting her tell me! She didn't tell me until last night when she showed up after we got home from the hospital. She told her numerous times that she wanted out, but no…your _girlfriend_ wouldn't let her!" Flack clenched his fist, trying to keep himself from punching the elevator wall. "So, I'm going to pay the FBI a little visit."

Danny looked at Flack, shock becoming apparent on his face. "Cory wouldn't do that," he muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, she did," Flack replied with a little more control.

Danny kept going over things in his head until he made a decision. Turning to Flack with a steely glint in his eyes, he said, "Flack? Let me talk to Cory. Let me find out what the hell is going on. Cory would never send Carmen in blind like that."

Flack turned. "Fine," he growled. "You have two hours. After that, the shit hits the fan," he said walking out of the elevator into the parking garage.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: She told O'Reilly that so he'd think she was only going to see Thomas, he didn't believe her. Poor Eddy! Their hurting him because they think Carmen's an undercover cop and Eddy was the one that brought her into the group so he needed to be punished. I was going to update this yesterday but unfortunately I deleted the chapter so sparky had to send it to me again._

_Forest Angel: lol you'll be finding out what Cory knows in the next chapter, so just hang on a little bit. It gets worse for them too unfortunately._

_Stargazr: lol it's not a problem, at one point I was only getting two reviews and one was from my beta. So I was getting a bit discouraged. Lol your poor cat! Thanks for the review._

_Tvjunkie45: She was in this case. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: lol I was the utter moron have no idea how it ended up deleted! I hope you feel better. I moved on to the Gus storyline for now so we'll see how hat plays out. Thanks for all your help!_

_Maddy Bellows: It's not a problem girl! It's just great to see you! Good luck with the moving! I sent you the two main Gus chapters I'm working on so far, so let me know what you think! Thanks for your lovely review._


	21. Chapter 21: Accusations

**A****N:**** Hey guys I would just like to thank you all for your reviews and say hey to any new lurkers! The majority of this chapter was written by sparkycsi, save the Carmen part. So a big thanks and round of applause to her! I'll let you guys carry on reading. Five reviews people!**

Chapter Twenty-One

_Skin to skin, blood and bone_

_You're all by yourself, but you're not alone_

_You wanted in and now you're here_

_You're driven by hate,_

_Consumed by fear_

_Drowning Pool –Bodies_

Twenty minutes later, after leaving the lab, Danny pulled up to Cory's apartment, still in disbelief. Sighing to himself, he got out of the SUV to go up to the apartment. He used his key, praying that Cory was home.

He walked into the apartment to hear the sounds of Evanescence playing. Shaking his head, he walked into the kitchen.

Cory smiled as he walked in, "Hey, sweetie." She frowned when she noticed his expression. "What's wrong?"

Danny's overwhelming fear for Carmen caused him to snap. "You're the one that sent her undercover you should know! If there's a hair harmed on her head you're responsible!"

Cory looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Danny? What are you talking about?"

"Why did you send Carmen undercover? She's missing and it's your entire fault."

"I didn't," she replied hesitantly, feeling guilty over the fact that she had considered doing that exact same thing.

Danny saw the way she hesitated and took that as a sign of guilt. "Don't lie to me, Cory. I thought I knew you. I thought I knew what kinda person you were, but obviously I was wrong. Flack was right. You are a cold-hearted bitch."

Cory stepped back like he had physically attacked her, feeling confused, but now feeling anger at his unfair assumptions. "Why the hell are you attacking me?! I didn't do anything…" she trailed off as Danny took a menacing step towards her.

"Bull shit."

Cory's eyes lit up in fury with Danny's inability to let her talk. "You know what, Messer. If you really feel that way, get the hell out of my apartment," she growled as she stalked past him. She walked to the door and wrenched it open.

Danny took her key off his key ring. "Fine. I don't want to be with anyone who puts their job before their family anyway. I'm disgusted with what you've done; you're like every other Fed I've met. You're ruthless and you don't give a shit if you have to step on your friends to get to the top. Don't bother calling," he snarled as he threw the key at her and walked out of the apartment.

Cory felt her anger drain out of her as she looked at the key lying on the hard wood floor. Her mind was whirling as she softly closed the door, then she realized what Danny had said about Carmen.

_I never sent her undercover. I couldn't do that._ She began to curse under her breath. "Jacobson, you son of a bitch!" she hissed as she grabbed her badge and gun then ran out of the apartment.

--------------------

The room was spinning and blurred and I could feel something cold and hard pressed against my face. Black blurs were moving, and I found myself with the inability to move.

"I think…waking…" I was catching snatches of conversation. My head was heavy as I tried to lift it, and failed. I was suddenly sitting upright; the blur in front of me spoke, as I felt my eyelids being opened, to check my pupils. A sudden sharp pain in the side of my face and I pressed against the hard surface again. My eyes snapped open as I was yanked up by my hair, an insistent tapping on my cheek was giving me focus.

"…Taylor…send you?" The fragmented words pounded into my brain as I hand on my shoulder held me up.

"Taylor wouldn't send me, she's too nice…" I mumbled.

"Mac…talking…Mac." The blurs were becoming shapes now. I realized they were people, I could put names to these people.

"Like my Dad, I want him to be my dad, is better than my dad." I huffed, before feeling my eyelids grow heavy. A dull blow to my face tilted my head, making my eyes close as the dizziness too over.

"Given her too much." Were the last words I heard before falling into oblivion.

--------------------

Cory marched into the FBI headquarters, almost seeing red with her rage. Her foot tapped impatiently as the elevator slowly made its way to her floor. As she strode her way out, once the doors had opened, she noticed that there were very few people in the building. Smiling to herself, she took that as a good sign.

She rounded the corner, marching in the direction of her team and stopped at the sight of Jacobson absently pulling at his tie, a habit that she knew was a sign of nervousness.

As she stopped by his desk, she drew a deep breath. "You stupid son of a bitch!" she screamed, her rage making her blind to any scene that she could make or it's impact on her career. "How the hell could you do something like that? It was not only idiotic, but dangerous as well."

Jacobson looked up at her in shock, realizing that his carefully constructed plan to rise to the top was falling apart like a house of cards in a hurricane. "I don't know what you're talking about," he tried to lie as he edged away from the outraged Cory.

Cory saw red as she stalked towards him, a hunter going after her prey. "I'm talking about you putting an innocent NYPD detective undercover, without my authorization."

Jacobson felt his own anger rising at her words. "Look, no woman is going to tell me what I can and can not do. I did what was necessary to bring down a brutal gang."

Cory felt something snap inside her at his high handed assumption that just because she was a woman he didn't have to listen to her. Before she realized what she was doing, she had slapped him.

Jacobson looked at her, anger and humiliation washing over him. "You bitch," he muttered as he began to react.

Cory smirked at him. "Like I haven't heard that before and believe me. Coming from you? It's a compliment," she spat back.

Jacobson raised his hand and without a thought tried to return the physical blow. Cory saw it coming and within seconds had captured his arm and thrown him to the ground, twisting it painfully behind him.

Flack

Flack walked onto the floor where Cory worked, looking for her boss' office. Danny had arrived back at the lab less than an hour after he had left, seething in rage. When he had asked Danny what had happened with Cory, Danny have just said in a monotone voice that he never wanted to hear her name again.

Taking that as confirmation of his worst fears, he had made his way to the building. Stepping out of the elevator, he was looking for Agent Michaels office, when he heard voices raised in anger. He walked around the corner to see Cory glaring at another agent. Shame filled him when he heard her say that the man had put Carmen undercover without her authorization, then he watched in fascination as they began to fight.

Finally coming to his senses, after seeing Cory throw the man to the ground, he walked up behind her to hear her say, "Give me one good reason not to break your arm right now."

Flack bit back the laughter that was bubbling up inside of him and he reached down and pulled Cory off of the man.

Cory looked up and saw Flack pulling her off of Jacobson. "Let me go, Flack," she muttered, fearing that he was going to yell at her like Danny did.

Flack saw the pain etching her features. "Don't kill him, Cory."

"I'm not going to, but that doesn't mean that I can't hurt him. He's the one that put Carmen undercover, without my knowledge."

Flack nodded, still a little angry. He looked at the man, trying to get up and quickly knocked his legs out from underneath him. "Stay down unless you want me to beat the shit out of you," he growled.

"I had considered asking her to go undercover for me, but I realized that I couldn't do that to you or Thomas. It was too dangerous. He saw my list of possible UC's and must have contacted her," Cory trailed off as a furious looking Agent Michaels walked into the office.

"Agent Reid!" he bellowed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Cory visibly flinched at the man's tone, but squared her shoulders. "Agent Jacobson contacted an NYPD CSI and without my knowledge or authorization, put her undercover without backup. As a result, she is now missing."

Agent Michaels looked down at the man, still lying prone on the floor. "Who?"

"Carmen Devine."

Agent Michael helped pick Jacobson up off the floor and frog marched him to his office as he motioned for the pair to join him.

Cory and Flack nodded as they began to follow him. "When I'm done with him," she growled under her breath so low that only Flack could hear, "he's not even going to be able to get a job as a rent-a-cop."

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_**Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I was like that with the Danny and Lindsey storyline! I was like noooooo! I also would have liked to know if Louie lived or died too. He was never really mentioned after the ep. Lol That's what I love about writing, you can do anything if you use your imagination. Lol I didn't realize that about Thomas, I may just have to put that in, at some point. Lol I was like damn it your right you made me laugh.**_

_**Forest Angel: There's some things you need to see before they find her. The case kind of has an aftermath but not one you expect.**_

_**Bluehavan4220: lol hopefully this will have answered a few of your questions regarding Cory's roll! Thanks for the review!**_

_**Sparkycsi: lol I loved the bit you wrote in that capter about her practically breaking his arm and Don's like don't kill him. It's a situation I can actually imagine. Is your cold better?**_


	22. Chapter 22: Brass

**AN****: Howdy, I hope you all had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Unfortunately Donna is ill at the moment and is celebrating New Year by staying in due to severe stomach cramps.**

Chapter Twenty Two

_I'm glad I came here  
With your pound of flesh  
No second billing cause you're a star now  
Oh, Cinderella  
They aren't sluts like you  
Beautiful garbage beautiful dresses  
Can you stand up or will you just fall down_

_Hole – Celebrity Skin_

Agent Michaels was sitting behind his desk as Jacobson stood, head bowed between Cory and Flack. There was silence as Michaels shuffled in his seat.

"Firstly, who are you?" Michaels asked pointing at Flack, who reached forward to shake Michaels' hand.

"I'm Detective Don Flack, with Homicide. I'm Carmen Devine's husband." Michaels nodded as Flack pulled away returning to his original position.

"I've met your father, he's a good man. Impressive arrest record. I hear your following in his footsteps." Michaels grey eyes focused on Flack, as the younger man smiled briefly.

"I try." Pleasantries over, Michaels focused his attention on the two FBI agents next to Flack.

"Will someone tell me what's going on here?" Michaels asked surveying them both. Flack began to fill him in on the details from what Carmen had told him the previous night. Cory erupted as Don finished summarising.

"Agent Jacobson went behind my back, and used my relationship with an NYPD Detective to force her to go undercover; as a result she is now missing!" Cory was still seething with rage, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Jacobson is this true?" Michaels asked the red haired man.

"Carmen Devine knew exactly what she was doing when she decided to go undercover. She knew the risks. I was trying to get a brutal gang off the streets, which was more than what Agent Reid was willing to do. She let her personal relationship with Devine jeopardise our chances."

Cory's head snapped towards Jacobson.

"I crossed her off my lift because she has a family; we knew that that gang is potentially violent. That's another reason why I crossed her off my list. I was weary about putting anyone undercover with this gang because of their reputation for violence towards women in particular. What were you thinking?!"

"She could get into the inner circle, she did. O'Reilly liked her; she was getting information on something big…"

"You told her to sleep with him." Flack snarled. "You told her to use any means necessary to get that information even after she begged you to pull her out!"

Jacobson's face turned to Flack his mouth working, but no words leaving his mouth. Flack shook his head.

"What? Didn't think she'd tell me that? She came running back when she heard that our son was in hospital within suspected meningitis, and she told me everything." Flack's eyes were hard and full of fury. Cory was staring at Jacobson horrified.

"Is this true?" Michaels asked his voice strangely quiet.

Jacobson was like a caged animal as he spoke.

"Agent Reid was weak and I did what needed to be done. We were on the verge of breaking the group open…"

"The purpose of putting an agent undercover was to find out who had ordered the hit on Mac Taylor." Cory broke into the discussion.

"Carmen also told him that The Red Hand Commandos didn't sanction the hit, but he still didn't let her leave." Flack told them. Cory looked like she was about to punch Jacobson.

Michaels shook his head as Jacobson went to open his mouth. Michaels interrupted

"You! Do not speak!" he commanded, his voice echoing through the office.

"Not only have you ignored protocol, disobeyed and disrespected a senior officer, and broke into her office, you've endangered an innocent woman's life! You've lied to several key members of the NYPD. There is no possibility of you even having a career as a traffic cop after this." Jacobson began to protest. Michaels cut him off, his gaze intent on Flack.

"What is the current status of this situation?" Michaels asked Flack, his brows furrowing deep in thought.

"We arrived at a crime scene this morning, the victim was beaten to death, the room…" he shivered at the thought of what had happened to Carmen.

"Our lab tech found footage of Carmen being carried from the scene by four men and put into a car. So far the crime lab is analysing trace and whatever other evidence to determine where she is." Flack bowed his head sadly.

"It's been over twenty four hours she's been missing." Flack told them. Michaels's gaze flickered back to Jacobson.

"When was your last check in with her?" he asked the younger man who was pulling at his tie.

"I don't really…"

"Don't lie to me boy, you don't really want to make this situation any worse." Michaels warned.

"It was at two am by the waterfront." Jacobson was staring down at his feet furiously.

"So she's been missing over twenty four hours and you didn't report it." Michaels stated.

"I thought she'd gone AWOL."

"Lord, give me strength." Cory growled, rolling her eyes. Flack's jaw clenched, as he tried to stifle the urge to choke Jacobson. Michaels took a deep breath.

"Detective Flack you have the FBI's full cooperation. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me." Michaels leaned over the desk handing Flack his card.

"Cory, go with Detective Flack to identify the men on the tape. See who they are and how bad this situation really is, report back to me when you have more details." Cory folded her arms over her chest and nodded.

"As for you…" He said addressing Jacobson.

"You can start by handing me everything Carmen Devine has given you and by explaining to me why on earth you think it was a reasonable decision for you to even begin to consider sending an NYPD Detective undercover." Michaels snapped, narrowing his eyes. Cory and Flack took leave from the room.

------------------

I groaned as another explosion of pain erupted in the side of my face. My head was heavy, my hair falling across my face. Sickness had buried itself in the pit of my stomach. O'Reilly's hand was in my hair, yanking my face back up to meet his eyes.

"How did they know we were planning something?" O'Reilly roared into my face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I joined the group because I was disillusioned…" I spat back, as fear and rage filled me. The drugs they'd been forcing down my throat had left me weak and useless. The more I defied them the more chance I had of escaping this alive. Alive…I felt like I was barely living. My memories were blurs of faces and colour and pain. Pain was the only consistency through this.

O'Reilly's hand clamped on my jaw forcing it open as he shoved something down my throat. More drugs…

I tried to fight but my body refused to move as the darkness set in, and not for the first time.

------------------

Flack and Cory sat in silence in Flack's car as his hands clenched the steering wheel. Both were staring straight ahead. For the first time Cory properly looked at Flack. His body was wrought with tension, his fists white nuked. His jaw was continuously clenched.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, not turning his head towards her. The back of Cory's hand was pressed against her lips gently.

"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," she told him. "I understand why you'd think that. I can't believe he went behind my back like that."

Cory confessed stunned.

"I was with her last night…" Flack murmured. Cory turned her head towards him surprised as Flack swallowed hard and looked down at his hands, fiddling with his keys.

"She was right there in my hands…" he glanced up meeting Cory's eyes.

"I shouldn't have let her go. I just…I was so glad to have her back but now I hate the fact I let her go." Flack admitted, shaking his head.

"I saw what those guys did to that other guy. It was sick Cory…It's one of the worst things I'd ever seen. They tortured him; she's been missing for twenty four hours. I keep thinking what they could have done to her by now." Flack's vulnerability was showing, and Cory knew that deep inside he was hurting, he was as scared for Carmen as she was.

Cory reached over and pulled Flack into a comforting hug.

"We'll find her Flack…I promise."

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol you've got a long way to go until I'm finished with them, so no worries for the near future. Lol I'm really honoured to have such a dedicated fan!_

_Bluehavan4220: Well Cory and Danny have a rocky road before they manage to salvage anything. You'll see. I've already written to chapter 35 and I have a list of the plot details I'm going to run with in the future._

_Sparkycsi: lol I'm currently on my little brother's laptop. Unfortunately my plans for New Year have gone array, I was going to have a party at mine, but some people decided not to come and I've been struck down with horrendous stomach cramps. SO I'm staying in with my little bro, so I won't be able to email you a few new chapters. I have been writing though._

_JoanneF: Hey welcome! It's always nice to see a new person. I am so glad that you're enjoying this story. You won't be finding out Carmen's fate just yet. Thanks for the review!_

_Axeilla: lol I was exactly the same way writing it. I was grinning when I did this chapter. Lol I thought that song could be quite creepy if you just saw the lyrics and compared them with a chapter like this. Lol I loved the argument too, Kris wrote it really well. Lol I'd of been there smacking him too!_


	23. Chapter 23: Linking Loose Ends

Chapter Twenty Three

_You know I have to walk away  
Don't you try to stop and save me  
When it all falls down,  
When it all falls down.  
You know I tried but I can't change  
So go ahead and blame me  
When it all falls down_

_The Calling – When It All Falls Down_

Danny was fuming when he saw Flack and Cory walking closely together through the lab. He barged between the two of them, ignoring Cory who was calling his name and walked quickly in the direction of his office.

A firm hand enclosed on his shoulder, and Danny twisted to reveal Flack standing there, his blue eyes meeting Danny's, taking in the expression on his face.

"Cory didn't do anything Danny." Danny frowned at Flack's words disbelieving as he told him about what he'd learned Cory's office.

"I can't believe this Flack; I can't believe that little bastard did this all behind their back, when I get my hands on him." Danny seethed.

"You should have seen what Cory did to him, he was lucky that she didn't manage to break his arm before I got there." Danny's eyes were on Cory in the AV lab as Flack spoke.

There was a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of Danny's stomach as it dawned on him what a terrible mistake he had made in accusing Cory.

"I wonder if she's ever going to forgive me for this." He muttered to himself, watching her reaction to the footage through the glass.

--------------------------------

"You're sure that's them?" Mac asked as Cory watched the scene in front of her as her, Adam, and Mac huddled in the AV Lab.

"That one's O'Reilly." Cory confirmed pointing at the one that was carrying Carmen.

"How bad is this?" Mac asked guiding Cory into his office. Flack had made a detour to check on Thomas who was at Stella's apartment.

"It's pretty bad." Cory admitted.

"O'Reilly has a reputation for violence towards women, back in Ireland he's been cleared of rape four times. Only because the victims have disappeared. He's been charged with possession of GHB on numerous occasions." She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a second attempting to gather herself together.

There was silence between her and Mac as they digested the information.

"We have several locations where we think she could be from Jacobson's records but there's a lot of them and we're running out of time." Cory told Mac honestly. Mac picked up the folder in front of him and flicked it open.

"This is trace from the scene, in the boot print on the victim's face we found some sequins; on the other side are the chemical components of body glue and body paint." Mac raised his gaze to meet Cory's eyes.

"Does this narrow down any possibilities?" Mac asked curiously.

"O'Reilly owns two strip clubs, one by the docks and the other in the Bronx. Jacobson told Michaels that he always had Carmen meet him by the waterfront because it was always close to where they let out. It was easier for her to meet him there. I think it's the waterfront, Mac. But if you give me a sec, we may be able to make sure." Cory said instantly pulling out her cell phone. Mac straightened up immediately, his fingers dialling on the phone next to him.

"Get me Matt Sullivan."

--------------------

"Who the hell do you work for?!" O'Reilly was screaming right in my face now. I couldn't move at all. The drugs had seen to that. My mind could barely focus and I had no memory so to speak.

"I don't know." I whimpered, curling away from him. O'Reilly ran a hand through his short hair.

"How much have you given her?" he asked McCoy, who shrugged in response.

"I've had enough of her denial, boys I think it's best you be leaving." O'Reilly's smile glinted dangerously, as I tried to peddle backwards. The muscles in my arms wouldn't work and I ended up flopping backwards on the floor again.

"I'm going to spend a little alone time with Little Miss Cop." He took another drag on his cigarette before he shut the door behind the three men who were leaving.

"Looks like it's just you and me lass."

----------------

Cory hung up quickly and turned to face Mac who had just finished barking orders to Matt on the phone.

"She's definitely there." Cory confirmed. "We've been watching the place; apparently a woman matching Carmen's description was brought in the early hours of yesterday morning. The guys we had watching the place thought she was just drunk dancing girl. They're setting up a team as we speak."

Mac nodded his head at Cory's news.

"We need to set up a raid on the place for in an hour's time. Matt's getting his team ready and he's going to come here for the final details of the plan. I think its best we take Hawkes, as back up in case she needs medical attention." Mac told her.

"Definitely." She agreed, before her and Mac began to make the plans for the raid.

---------------

"Hey Flack! We're needed in the strategy room." Matt called out, clapping his hand on Flack's shoulder.

Flack raised is eyebrows.

"They think they've found her. We're going on a raid in thirty minutes time, get yourself a vest, you're in my team." Flack didn't have to be told twice.

------------------

"The club has two entrances, one at the back where the dancers slip out for a smoke and the obvious front one. Matt's team are going through the back whereas we gentleman are hitting the front." Cory paused before continuing her line of speech.

"Y'all know who we're looking for and we have no idea where she's being kept inside the building. These men are ruthless so if worst comes to worst, shoot to kill. Any questions?" she asked the room, scanning the mix of FBI and NYPD faces.

"Let's go."

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_ForestAngel: lol they'll find her in the next chapter! It was all behind Cory's back. Ambition can be a terrible thing sometimes._

_Sparkycsi: lol I'm sorry I'm sick too, its awful. I got off a new chapter for you. I would have just broken his arm for being an ass. I'll see if I can type some more up tomorrow._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: thanks for the review. I'm glad you're so excited by the story. Hopefully you'll enjoy the forthcoming chapter._

_Axellia: lol your review was really kind, thank you. I so would have hugged him. I want a naked Flack! Ahem He does get his comeuppance in the end._


	24. Chapter 24: The Grand Finale

**An:**** Just a little treat for you all. **

Chapter Twenty Four

_Trouble is her only friend and he's back again._

_James Blunt – Carry You Home._

Tears were running down my eyes as O'Reilly clenched my wrist tightly. My palm facing upwards as he buried his cigarette into the soft skin of my underarm. I was screaming as the pain erupted through me. All the way up my arm were the burns from this cigarette. I was breaking, I could feel it. Sobs were choking in my chest the new burn stung just as badly as the others. I was too weak to pull my arm away as he examined the new mark he'd made on my body.

"Who do you work for…" I was sobbing now and I couldn't stop. I shook my head.

"Lass, I could do a lot worse things to you than this." He warned me plunging his cigarette into my arm again and holding it there. I was grinding my teeth trying to hold it all in. I snapped as he reached out and touched my face.

"The FBI." I choked. O'Reilly's face contorted in disgust and rage as his fist lashed out , throwing me against the floor.

"You stupid bitch!" he raved, dragging me to my feet by the hair. My face and his face were inches away from each other as he pressed me against the wall. Panic filled my chest.

"I trusted you; I brought you into my inner circle. I showed you my plans and you betrayed me. You fucking bitch…Give me one reason why I shouldn't slit your throat right here and now!"

"I won't tell anyone. I won't I promise." I sobbed against him, as he held me there. I was lying. He knew it and I knew it.

"You may have a use yet…" he said pressing against me tearing open the bottom of my blouse. I tried to push him away but drugs made me pathetic, I could barely stand up on my own.

"No…"

-----------------

"Go!" Cory's signal echoed over the radio. Matt's foot connected with the back door, forcing it open in one swift movement. He raised his gun as they rushed inside Flack right behind him.

Matt signalled Flack to search the first room on his left, as he continued down the corridor. There was a commotion from up above as he heard Cory's team crashing through the main area of the strip club.

They continued further down the winding corridor, his team dispersing at different points to search different rooms. Matt came face to face with Cory as a sharp scream cut through the air. Cory nodded as he kicked open the door to his right, his gun pointing in all different directions surveying the room.

"He went that way." A small voice told him. Matt turned his head to see Carmen's tear streaked face looking up at him, her hand shaking as she pointed towards another set of doors. Matt moved towards her, she closed her eyes, tears trailed down her face, breaking his heart as he took in the entire sight of her. She was clutching her torn blouse closed. Cigarette burns, dotted her arms, mascara and bruising decorated her face. Matt took a step towards her.

"Don't." the command in her voice was cold. "Just get him." She hissed as she began to shake.

Cory's hand touched Matt's shoulder gently.

"I'll take care of this." she reassured him. Matt gave her a brief nod before running towards in the direction Carmen had pointed him in, determination setting on his face.

----------------

Cory studied and catalogued each one of Carmen's visible injuries as she moved towards the other woman. Cory crouched down next to Carmen, and spoke before touching her.

"Carmen it's me Cory…" Carmen raised her head from her knees, trying to wipe at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I can't stand up." Carmen told her, fresh tears beginning to well up as she cupped a hand to her mouth trying to stifle the sobs bursting in her chest.

"That's ok." Cory murmured, her hand rubbing Carmen's bare arm gently.

"We'll just sit here until the others find us. That sound good to you?" Carmen nodded before Cory shuffled into a sitting position against the wall next to her. Cory's arm wrapped around Carmen's shoulders, pulling her head onto her chest as she broke down completely.

Cory held Carmen tightly as she cried, cursing Jacobson to hell.

-----------------

Flack burst into the room panting. His heart was racing in his chest as his eyes surveyed the room and came to rest on what he had been seeking during the raid. His wife was in the corner huddled against Cory. His gaze softened as he holstered his weapon, he crouched down, his hands outstretched to pull her to him, his heart reaching out to her.

"Don't touch me!" Carmen practically screamed. Don recoiled as if he'd been slapped as fresh tears erupted, her hands hiding her face.

"Please." She choked, as Flack drew back.

"Don't touch me." Flack's heart thudded in his chest as he looked at her properly for the first time. Fear rose in his throat, as he realized that her shirt was hanging open revealing her black satin bra. Her trousers were riding low, almost pooling underneath her hips, he could see a glimpse of her panties from the torn zipper.

He felt the breath leave his chest as his gaze met Cory's apologetic gaze. He slipped into a sitting position, trying to focus his elbows resting on his knees as he took in the cigarette burns running up and down Carmen's arms.

What had he done to her? Flack felt sick, thinking he already knew. He tipped his head back and covered his face with his hands, feeling terror in his chest. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the feeling of utter helplessness rising within him.

------------------------

Matt stepped quickly down the narrow staircase, wondering where it led. He couldn't get the image of Carmen out of his head as another rush of anger ran through him. He reached the bottom of the stairs which led to an open doorway and a pier. At the end of the pier. O'Reilly was climbing into a boat.

"Freeze!" Matt yelled over the freezing cold wind that was nipping at his face. His gun was pointed at O'Reilly's head.

O'Reilly cast Matt a grin as his hand swept into his jacket. Matt fired. The impact from the bullet forced O'Reilly's body over the side of the boat, plunging him into the swirling dark water. Matt ran to the edge of the pier and glanced at the man floating in the water, bullet hole in his head.

He heard footsteps behind him and swung his gun to meet the face of Mac Taylor staring at him.

"You get him?" Mac asked, walking towards Matt's side and looking down into the water.

"Head shot." Matt muttered, turning his back on the body. Mac's hand clapped on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing." Mac told the dark haired SWAT leader. Matt crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Mac honestly, his eyes haunted.

"I just wish we'd got here faster." Mac pursed his lips together and nodded, before looking up at Matt.

"Cory and Flack are with her now; they're riding in the ambulance with her. She's tough, she'll survive this." Mac said sadly.

"She shouldn't have to." Matt remarked.

"Your right and I'll personally see to it that the man responsible for all of this gets what he deserves. Go debrief your team by the time that's done we'll know a little more on Carmen's condition."

Matt bowed his head, before thanking the older man and traipsing his way back up the stairs.


	25. Chapter 25: Being A Victim?

Chapter Twenty-Five

_Every night you cry yourself to sleep  
Thinking: "Why does this happen to me?  
Why does every moment have to be so hard?"_

_Maroon 5 – Won't Go Home Without You_

Having my stomach pumped was the worst procedure I'd ever endured within hospital walls. It had taken a long time to get all the drugs out of my system, leaving me exhausted, and frustratingly weak and sick. My throat was sore and it was painful to swallow. Talking was borderline bearable. I forced my eye lids open as Cory stepped into the room. I looked at her, a little uneasy. Now that they drugs were out of my system, my mind kept going over the fact that she was the one responsible for putting me in with O'Reilly in the first place.

I looked at her, noticing the hesitation on her face and the guilt shining in her eyes. Finally, I relented and raised my hand a little off the bed to wave at her.

"Hey." I murmured. Cory gave me a grim smile as she dropped into the seat next to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked brushing the hair from my forehead.

"My face hurts, my throat hurts." I glanced down at my arm and the burns upon it.

"My arm and stomach hurt. I can barely move I feel so tired." I paused, gathering the courage to ask her what I really wanted to ask. "Why didn't you let me go home, Cory? I thought we were friends," I asked with accusation in my voice.

Cory flinched at my words and drew a breath before responding. "I didn't put you in, Carmen."

"But, Jacobson…" I trailed off when I saw a flash of rage in her eyes.

"That son of a bitch better be glad that I didn't kill him," she said. "Look. I'll admit I did consider asking you to do that, but when I realized how dangerous it was going to be…I couldn't do it. I couldn't put you in that situation because you have a family now." I looked up to see that tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes. She locked eyes with me and I could tell that she was still feeling guilt. "It's still my fault. If Jacobson hadn't seen you name on the short list, even after I told him that I wasn't willing to risk doing that, then he wouldn't have used you like that and our lives wouldn't have been shattered."

I carefully gauged her, realizing that she was beating herself up, but I knew that something else was going on. "What do you mean?"

Cory looked at me, trying to pull herself together. "Don't worry about it. Besides the obvious trauma, how else are you feeling?" she said with an abrupt change of topic.

"Still trying to remember what all happened. Any idea what they spiked me with yet?" I asked, letting out a deep breath.

"Rohypnol." She answered, studying me.

"Which would explain the memory loss and the black outs." I said out loud as things began to piece together.

"You still don't remember if he…" Cory trailed off, her hand going to her mouth concerned.

I wrapped my arms around myself at the memory of O'Reilly tearing my shirt, his hands fumbling at my trousers, while I tried to struggle against him and then nothing.

"I just remember his hands on me. He tore open my shirt and my belt and then I must have blacked out, since the next thing I knew was that I was lying on floor and he was running in the other direction through the doorway. My blouse was open, zipper down on my pants, but I don't know what he did." I admitted, feeling myself beginning to shiver. I'd never been that scared before. The fact I couldn't remember a thing was the worst part.

Cory reached out and touched my hand softly.

"You've come into tell me that the nurse is going to examine me." I stated quietly, studying Cory.

"And Don's pacing outside, he wants you to make sure I'm ok with him coming in." I told her. Cory stared at me for a second surprised. I looked down at the sheets distantly as tears pinpricked my eyes. I sniffed before looking up at Cory.

"I don't even think I want to know Cory, really I don't…I don't know how I'm going to deal with it if he did. The last two days have been a complete blur. I remember snippets of things and the only constant factor is pain and his words. I've never felt so weak in my entire life. I've always been able to fight you know?" I whispered, one strong woman to another.

Cory took my hand and pressed it between both of her own. Her eyes focused on me.

"You can do this. I know you can. You need to know what has happened so that you can move on and you're right Don is outside, pacing like crazy, wanting to make sure you're ok. He wants to know what happened so he can help. If you don't do it now, you're going to be wondering for the rest of your life. You'll become a victim." Cory hesitated, brushing the hair from my face; she gave me a warm smile.

"And you're anything but a victim." She told me, looking into my eyes affectionately.

There was a small tap on the door and the nurse popped her head into the door.

"Miss Devine, are you ready?" she asked as she pushed open the door, carrying the Sexual Assault Kit. I nodded my response as Cory stood up to leave.

"Will you stay?" I asked pleading. Cory knew I was showing her my vulnerability. Her grip on my hand tightened.

"Of course."

----------------

_It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you_

The minute Cory stepped out f the room; Flack was on her interrogating her.

"Cory, how is she? Did he touch her? Should I go in? Does she want to be by herself? Did he touch her?" Flack's concern was heart warming. His hands were resting on his arms, his gaze intense.

Cory held up her hands in mock surrender.

"Firstly, the nurse tells me she wasn't raped, she is more than relieved. She's had her stomach pumped. She's doing better than she was and of course you can go in. You can even take her home in the next hour."

"Thank God for that."

----------------

Cory glanced down as her phone began to ring for the fourth time in five minutes. Sighing, she hit the reject button again. "Get a clue, Messer. I don't want to talk to you," she muttered under her breath. "Thank God he's not off the clock yet." She unlocked her door and dragged herself into her bathroom, running the water as hot as she could stand.

A few minutes later, standing under the water, she broke down. Sobs racked her body as she thought about how in less than twelve hours, her life fell apart. Finally, the sobs subsided and she finished her shower.

Just as she wrapped the towel around her, she heard her phone ring. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Agent Michaels. "Reid."

"_Cory, it's Agent Michaels."_

"Hi, how can I help you," she asked.

"_Do you want to escape the city for a while?"_

Cory's eyebrows rose. "That would be wonderful. What do you have in mind?"

"_The Dallas office has requested your assistance. Something about a re-emergence of Mala Suerte. They figure that you could help them out a lot."_

Cory thought for a moment, feeling relief at getting some time apart. "Definitely. When do you want me to leave?"

"_ASAP. I booked a flight for you. It leaves in three hours. Can you make it to LaGuardia by then?"_

Cory began to mentally calculate what she needed to pack. "No problem. I can be packed in thirty minutes and at the airport in an hour."

"_Thanks. Dallas is really going to love having you back for a while."_

Cory smiled, feeling grateful for the offer. "Thanks," she said as she hung up the phone, already walking towards her closet and her suitcase. Once finished packing, she left the apartment, making a mental note to call Flack to see if he could have Carmen swing by to water her plants every couple of days.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol you're a pretty demanding person. I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_ForestAngel: lol Thanks. I worked really hard on this story arc, so it's nice to know it's appreciated._

_Sparkycsi: lol I wanted to hug them both so badly. I feel really bad for Flack sometimes. I love seeing an emotional side to him._

_Bluehavan4220: I'm glad you like the chapters. Carmen always likes to be the tough one but sometimes she can't be. Thanks for the review._

_Axellia: No problem, sounds like a great mix, you ever tried a Steamboat? I wanted a good quick ending to the whole thing, and I thought Matt should get some time to shine! I wanted to give them both hugs. I felt really bad for Flack in particular here._


	26. Chapter 26: Big Girls Don't Cry

Chapter Twenty Six

_I hope you know_

_That this is nothing to do with you_

_It's personal_

_Myself and I _

_We've got some straightening to do._

_It's time to be a big girl now_

_And big girls don't cry._

_Fergie – Big Girls Don't Cry_

"I can actually walk now you know." I pointed out, my head resting on Don's shoulder as he carried me up the corridor towards our apartment.

Don turned his head, kissing my forehead as I snuggled closer to him.

"The last time we did this was on our wedding night and I nearly dropped you in my eagerness to get into the room." A small smile crossed my lips at his words.

"I remember." I breathed slipping the key into the lock and pushing it open as Don carried me through the living room and towards the bed room before gently helping me to the floor. My legs in all honesty were still a little weak. I leaned against Don, trying to retain my balance.

"Thank you." I murmured, kissing his lips timidly. Flack pulled me into a little hug before pulling back the quilt cover for me. Flack moved to the dresser pulling out my favourite set of pj bottoms and a strap top.

He lingered by the door for a second.

"Should I…" he trailed off indicated towards the door.

"Leave?" I asked frowning. He pursed his lips and nodded. Don was being as careful as he could around me, trying to let me sort my head out without the pressure of anything being there.

"Could you make me a cup of tea?" I asked him, peeling off my shirt to show him I had no objections to getting changed in front of him. He gave me sigh of relief before disappearing into the kitchen.

I was under the blankets, propped up flicking through the book he'd been reading while I was away.

"You're reading this again?" I asked, holding up _War and Peace_ as he set the mug of tea down next to me.

"It reminded me of you." He told me as he kicked his shoes off. I felt deeply touched by the notion as I set it down on the bed, and began sipping my tea, watching him as he got changed into pj bottoms and a t-shirt.

Flack climbed into his side of the bed and lay on his side surveying me as I glanced at him.

"I couldn't sleep the whole time you were gone." He told me suddenly. I ruffled his hair gently.

"It shows Mr Flack." I said setting my tea down on the night stand and snuggling down under the covers so we were face to face. Flack's fingers traced the shape of my face as I closed my eyes, finding myself being soothed.

"I feel so tired." I told Don, feeling anxious. Don's lips brushed my forehead. He cupped my face and his kisses moved lower down to my nose and then my cheeks.

"I'll watch over you while you sleep." He said softly, stroking my cheek. I nodded, tucking my head into the hollow of his neck. His hand was stroking the back of my head gently. I looped my arms under his as he held me tightly making myself feel as safe and secure as possible. The familiar scent of him lulled me to sleep.

---------------------

The rapping at the door was what brought Stella from her sleep. She glanced at the sleeping Thomas, who was barely stirring. Throwing on her housecoat, she glanced through the peephole before opening the door, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey Mac." She said quietly. She opened the door allowing him in. Stella could see the tiredness in his face. The last few days had been taking its toll on all of them. Carmen's disappearance and the discovery of the web of lies Jacobson had spun still left them shocked and stunned, with Flack on the front line Stella had taken a back seat to take care of Thomas for the past two days. Mac had been calling every time a new development occurred. Unfortunately, the last hours had been patchy as things had moved quickly through the raid and the hospital.

Mac looked weary; Stella reached out and touched his arm gently.

"She's fine, Flack's taken her home," was all he said. Stella studied him, knowing better than to push for details. She helped him out of his coat, Mac let out a deep sigh before dropping onto the couch, his head in his hands for a second. Stella set down a cup of hot chocolate in front of Mac and began to sip from her own cup. She settled down next to Mac on the couch.

"How's Thomas doing?" he asked quietly.

"He's doing ok; he's recovering alright from the measles. He's been crying for his Mom and Dad for the last two days." Stella told him sympathetically.

"I thought it would be best if they spent the night alone. I think Thomas would be overwhelming for them both right now." Mac explained.

"It's been a rough few days for everyone." Mac said. Stella knew he was talking about Cory and Danny. Stella nodded her agreement, stifling a yawn.

"I think it's time for bed." Stella said, taking Mac's hand and pulling him to his feet.

"We've got a big day tomorrow, full of meetings and press conference or two. You need to get some sleep and I look bad without sleep. Everyone is safe and sound, tucked up in their beds. So it's time for you and me to get some sleep." Stella told him firmly, guiding him towards her open bedroom door.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES**_

_Axellia: high five! You were the first reviewer for this chapter. Lol I wanted to show it fractured a lot ore than Carmen. At least you have an idea of where it' going, for everyone else it's all up in the air. I wanted to spare her all of that but I was thinking about the effects of date rape drugs and thought it would be horrible for her to not remember if it had happened or not. I think it's a nice scene between her and Cory too, it clears a lot of things up._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I hope u got my review reply. You were fine but I was teasing you hun! Thanks for your review, you made me smile._

_Bluehavan4220: The CSI's would all be hiding Jacobson if that was the case. Trust me on that one. You will just have to see, I can say Danny gets a surprise visit though!_

_Stargazer: I am so glad that you have been, it's nice to hear from you again!_


	27. Chapter 27: Funeral March

Chapter Twenty Seven

_Things will never be the same again.  
It's just the beginning it's not the end.  
Things will never be the same again._

_Mel C – Never Be The Same_

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Flack asked, sitting on the bed and watching me as I pulled my hair out from the white blouse I had just buttoned. I shook my head in response, fixing my collar and grabbing my boots from by the door.

I felt the bed shift as Flack moved towards me. Fastening my boots I straightened as his arms wrapped around me, bringing me close.

"You're going to be alright?" He asked clearly concerned. I turned in his arms, facing him. He studied me for a second. I met his eyes, and wrapped my arms around his neck. He tightened his grip, cuddling me gently. He pulled away, looking into my eyes, our faces inches apart.

"If you need me, you'll call?" he asked. I nodded. His lips brushed my forehead. I pulled away sniffing before throwing my black suit jacket. I picked up the envelope and the small box off my nightstand and slipped them into my bag.

"I'll give you a lift down." Flack said, picking up the keys. His cornflower blue eyes were on me as I gave him a grim smile. He held open the door for me as I stepped out into the hallway head bowed. Flack's hand enclosed on my shoulder, I looked up startled for a second.

"There's nothing you could have done." He told me honestly. His hand slid down my arm and captured my hand. Flack brushed the hair away from my face lightly.

"He saved my life; I just can't get his death out of my head." I confessed. Flack pulled me to him. I fell into his grasp, blinking back tears.

"The nightmares are going to go away." Flack told me as I clutched him tightly. I nodded. Each night since everything had gone wrong, I'd woke up, screaming still seeing Eddy's bloodied eyes watching me. Flack was always there when I woke up calming me and down and holding me. He knew what it was like, having the nightmares. After the explosion he'd kept all of his nightmares locked up inside, it wasn't until I tip toed past his room in the recovery period when I realized that I wasn't the only one having the nightmares.

Flack pulled away, his head against mine, his firm hands cupping my face.

"I'll pick you up after the funeral, just call me and I'll be there ok?" he gave me a pointed look. I smiled, kissing the palm of his hand before he guided me to the car.

----------------------

The service wasn't as long as I thought it would have been. There were few people dotted in various places. Up at the front stood a tidy black woman, his wife Louise with her ten year old son, Jordan, her arm was draped over his shoulders, as they sung the hymn along with the priest.

"Now it's time to say goodbye to our friend and family member Edward Cusack and pray that the Lord, our Father accepts him into his arms as he did his own son, the Saviour Jesus Christ." We rose to our feet as the coffin disappeared behind the curtain.

My eyes were on Eddy's wife as her shoulders shuddered, followed by a violent sniffing. My heart went out to her. I couldn't imagine the pain of losing her husband…

I took a deep breath following the group of people as they moved towards her giving Louise their regrets. I trailed behind them, wanting to be the last person in the line.

Louise's hazel eyes met mine, before they scanned my face. I knew she was taking in the bruising, the awkward way I was standing, the cigarette burn on the back of my hand, the only one I couldn't hide.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I told her earnestly. Jordan was peering up at me; he had his father's eyes. Louise still kept him close, her mouth set in a grim line.

"He wanted me to give you this." I said taking out the envelope that Sid had found amongst Eddy's belongings. Louise frowned, taking it from me, her delicate hands shaking. I bowed my head as she read it, hearing a sob choke in her throat. Tears were in my own eyes as I thought about everything Eddy had done for me.

"You were there with him…when they…when he died?" she asked me. I swallowed hard, before nodding. I met her gaze, tears trailing down my cheeks.

"He saved me. I tried to stop them but…" I shook my head.

"We were outnumbered. He was brave…He never told them who I was." I told her honestly, looking down at my hands. Louise took my hand gently, her eyes on the burn there.

"Did they do that to you?" She asked softly. I nodded ashamed.

"You were brave too." Louise stated surprising me. I let out a deep breath, staring at her.

"I know you did everything you could to save him, but this wasn't your fault. That man… The man who sent you there, the monsters that killed my husband, it's their fault not yours." I sniffed, as she let go of my hand.

"Do you know what's going to happen to the people who did this?" Louise asked me suddenly. I saw the need for reassurance in her eyes.

"The FBI agent has lost his badge, and is going to stand trail for manslaughter due to gross negligence, amongst other things. He faces life imprisonment. The others are being tried for capital murder; the crime lab found enough evidence to run for convictions on all of them." Relief flooded her face as I told her this. I could see she had thought that they were going to get away with this.

"Is it ok if I give Jordan something?" I asked Louise in a small voice. She nodded; her thoughts were still wrapped up with the pending trails, from what I could tell.

I crouched down in font of Jordan and took the small box out of my handbag and held it out to him. He glanced at his mother before taking it from my hand and opening it.

"It was your father's medal for all the people he helped, he wanted you to have it." The little boy studied it as I rose to my feet.

"Thank you." His voice was quiet, I could feel the sadness in it as he wrapped his arms around my waist for a brief instant before pulling away and burying his head in Louise's side. I could see his tiny body shake as the grief overcame him. My chest ached seeing all this.

I took my card out of my pocket and pressed it into Louise's hand.

"Call me if you need anything, anything at all. I mean it. Call me." I pleaded. Louise gave me a knowing look before nodding. I watched as they turned their backs and walked slowly towards the row of cars waiting.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROS!!!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol I am the smacked fan. In the first series I was dying for them to get together! I was not happy when Peyton came along. Lol Have fun writing about Danny and Cory!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I hope you get better soon! Lol that's true I am an avid updater, it's only because I'm off uni at the min, so I can write ff freely. I thought they deserved a little bit of time on their own. I have a lot of things in store for them, just you wait._

_JoanneF: She is, that is true. At least she's free now. I think she's going to have a bit of an easier ride for the next few chapters, to give her a break._


	28. Chapter 28: Looking Forward

Chapter Twenty Eight

_Get away and out of this city,_

_Maybe I shouldn't of called _

_But someone had to be the first to break…_

_Can you believe what a year it's been  
Are you still the same?  
Has your opinion changed?_

_Savage Garden – I Don't Know You Anymore_

It was unusually warm for February, Flack's hand was linked in mine as we strolled a long the boardwalk of Coney Island. Thomas toddled ahead of us, his eyes taking in everything. Don held the handle to the reign's that were strapped across the toddler's chest, so he couldn't run off without us knowing.

The sea breeze itself was cooling; I was wearing a light jacket studying the water ahead. I turned my head, a smile crossing my lips, catching Flack watching me.

"Can I ask you something?" he said quietly. I pushed my hair behind my ears before replying.

"Of course."

Flack's eyes flickered to Thomas who was staring up at a clown face painted on one of the stalls.

"You ever thought about giving it all up and getting out of the city?" he asked, halting as we came to a stop by a empty bench. I frowned puzzling over this question for a minute as we both dropped down onto it. Flack's eyes were on Tom as I scanned the profile of his face trying to see where this question had come from.

"You mean give up being a cop and move to the suburbs?" I clarified. Flack nodded, tugging the reigns a little as Thomas tried to clamber toward the edge of the boardwalk.

"I don't know. I've never really thought about it." I told him, leaning my head on my hand.

"At some point maybe, settle down, have another kid. But not right now… I don't feel like I've given it my all just yet…" I paused, thinking how to answer the question honestly.

"I just feel like I'm not ready to let go of it yet. Like there's so much more I can achieve, so many more people that I can still help." I gazed down at the burn that was beginning to heal on the back of my hand.

"Besides I'm not good at the whole housewife thing, I can't even bake cookies and they have instructions." I joked. Flack chuckled with me, his eyes still firmly on Thomas, his expression thoughtful.

"Why have you?" I asked him softly. Don's head turned to me, catching my eyes.

"A little." He admitted, before he turned his head back to Thomas who was attempting to sneak up on seagull.

"Thomas, you're not allowed to keep a seagull for a pet if you catch it buddy." Don called out. The seagull flapped his wings at the sound of Flack's voice, and cawed before flying away towards another group of seagulls. Thomas starred at the spot where the seagull had been momentarily confused.

"So what have you been thinking about?" I asked Flack, touching his arm gently. He let out a deep sigh before turning to look at me again.

"I'm concerned about ya, ya know? I'm not sure if we would have been able to bounce back if O'Reilly had actually touched you." He confessed, his mouth setting in a grim line, clearly expecting a fight.

"The truth is, I just want to know your safe. I've been evaluating things a lot lately and I keep thinking Tom's growing up, is the city really such a great place to raise him?" I tilted his head acknowledging his concern. I took Don's hand surprising him. Our eyes met mine now and I could see all that concern and responsibility in them.

"Right now…Can you really see the both of us living in the suburbs? I mean right now. Can you imagine me giving up my job to raise Tom in the suburbs?" Flack let out another sigh and shook his head.

"I think it's something to think about in the future, when we want to settle down properly. Maybe when we decide we want to have another baby." Flack's head shot up, his gaze intent on me; a small smirk was crossing his face. I narrowed my eyes playfully, my thumb gently tracing his knuckles.

"But right now, despite everything that's happened in the past few weeks. I wouldn't want to change anything. I'm happy to just be in our place, with you and our little boy and to just help people, the same way you do." Flack leaned forward kissing my mouth gently.

"I thought you'd say something like that." He murmured as he drew away.

"You did?" I asked surprised.

"I just wanted to make sure you were happy." He reassured me, before kissing me again. After he pulled away I opened my eyes, to see him staring at Thomas.

"This time I think you should be the one to tell our son that trying to poke a seagull with a plastic blue fork is wrong." He told me leaning in as my eyes diverted to Thomas.

"You are kidding me." I muttered, jumping to my feet, flapping my arms trying to scare the seagull that was practically the size of my little boy away.

In the distance I could hear Flack laughing in hysterics.

_**READ THE NEW CHAPTER OF GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Maddy Bellow: It's great to see you back! How'd the move go? Have to say I have missed you fiercely. Your review made me glow! I'll send you another Gus chapter if you have the time to read it through later._

_Sparkycsi: You have been a busy girl! Sorry about my irregularity of being online. I've had my friend over the last few days so I haven't been able to be on the pc as much. But I am able to from now on. Lol I think my muse stole her for a small while!_

_Forest Angel: It's nice to see you too! I wanted to get that across; it would be difficult for Carmen esp with regards to Eddy's family. We have a few fluff chapters coming up._


	29. Chapter 29: Happy Valentines

Chapter Twenty Nine

_Oh - thinking about all our younger years  
There was only you and me  
We were young and wild and free_

Now nothing can take you away from me  
We've been down that road before  
But that's over now  
You keep me coming back for more  
Baby you're all that I want  
When you're lying here in my arms  
Im finding it hard to believe  
We're in heaven

_Bryan Adam – Heaven_

"Hey, is this all the stuff I'm taking with me?" Danny asked from the doorway. I was in the bedroom, slipping in the earrings that matched my sky blue dress.

"I think that's everything he needs for tonight." I yelled, turning around to grab the black shrug and slipping it on my shoulders. Don was still in the bathroom, doing God knows what. It was Valentine's Day and things were a crazy as ever.

It had three weeks since the undercover incident. Cory was still in Texas, working for the office there. As far as I knew, she still wasn't taking Danny's calls, which in turn didn't make Valentine' Day any easier. He'd offered to baby sit Thomas so that we could go out, more likely to take his mind off things.

Cory called me however regularly checking up on everybody, nobody was sure when she was due back, which was making Danny a little more antsy. I took in a deep breath. Although I could see Cory's point of view in the situation I could see Danny's as well. It was best to step back and let them both get on with it.

I heard laughter coming from the living room and rolled my eyes realizing that Don had most likely appeared from the bathroom finally. Grabbing my hand bag, I slipped my cell, my badge, purse and lip gloss into it. I made a conscious effort not to pack my gun, as we were going on a date after all. Danny was now roaring with laughter.

I slipped out of the bedroom to Flack showing Danny something on his phone. Flack glanced at me before hastily closing his phone over and slipping it into his pocket.

"You're showing him the seagull thing, aren't you?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"You have to admit it's pretty funny."

"I thought it was going to eat him!" I exclaimed. Danny couldn't hold in the laughter at this and suddenly burst into a fit of giggles. A smile broke over my own features as well as Don's.

Flack looked radiant in the dark blue suit he was wearing; his crisp white shirt was open at the top revealing a small expanse of his chest. I caught him giving me a good looking at too. I grinned flirtatiously as he licked his lips.

"Like something you see Detective Flack?" I asked teasing. The dress clung in all the right places. It's thin straps hung over my shoulders, giving way to a V line that showed the curve of breasts without showing off too much. It fell just above my knees. The stilettos Stella had bought me, for my birthday, gave me height so I almost came to Don's eye line.

Danny picked Thomas who was clutching at his leg.

"We better get out of here buddy before this gets x-rated." He commented, jiggling Tom who was laughing. I moved over kissing Thomas on the head and Danny on the cheek.

"Thank you for doing this Danny." I said softly. Danny winked.

"Flack sending me the video of you trying to scare off that seagull is more than enough thanks." My jaw dropped at Danny's words. I twisted to my head to Flack whose smile was frozen on his face. Danny was looking between the two of us, sensing it was a good time to leave, he disappeared out of the door, leaving it open for us to follow.

I chucked the keys to Flack before scowling.

"You are so not getting laid tonight." I growled. Flack wrapped his arm around my shoulders before guiding me out of the door.

"Of course I'm not."

-----------------

"Hey, isn't this…" I began as Flack parked up the car.

"Yea it is." He said giving me a boyish grin before turning off the engine. I stepped from the car and towards the tree lined pathway of the place.

"It hasn't really changed at all." I commented as Flack held open the door for me. Flack leaned in whispering in my ear.

"And to think that last time we were both in here we were both covered in paint and as scruffy as hell." He reminded me. I giggled at the memory.

The place where Flack had taken us was the very first restaurant in which we'd been alone together. I'd invited him to play paintball after he'd yanked a guy who'd been trying to choke me off of the top of me. We'd ended up with Flack dragging me into a very posh restaurant, splattered with blobs of paint.

It was here that our relationship changed. We learned a lot about each other here.

"You think that old man has moved from that place since we were last here?" Flack sniggered. I looked at Flack feeling stuck in a time warp.

"Was that really six years ago?" I asked, startling myself.

"I think you'll find it was seven." I blushed at Flack's words. He grinned at me as we were led to a candlelit table.

---------------------------

"I feel like this is the first proper time we've been out by ourselves in a while." I told Flack honestly. Don's hand slipped over mine and he caressed his fingers.

"It is, and I'm proud of you, you haven't called Danny once tonight." Flack grinned. I tilted my head.

"I must be enjoying the company." I remarked pointedly, taking a sip of my wine glass.

"You hear anymore from Cory?" Don asked thoughtfully. I shook my head.

"She doesn't know when she's coming back and she's still been avoiding Danny's calls. She's just not ready to speak to him yet, she's unhappy because he believed you over her." I told him. Flack frowned and I knew he was going back to everything that had happened.

"The evidence was pretty damning." Flack stated defending Danny. I shrugged.

"I have no doubt it was, but the fact is, she said she didn't do it so Danny should have looked for another reason as to why it happened. I can understand that he was upset but that's the way Cory sees it. He didn't trust her, so she feels she can't trust him." I explained. Don nodded.

"We were just all scared of what was happening to you." Flack told me, his eyes looking haunted. I clasped his hand gently.

"It's over and all we have to worry about is now." I reassured him, stroking his arm gently.

"I have a surprise for you tonight." I stated, unable to keep the teasing grin off my face.

"What kind of surprise?" he asked raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"It involves, strawberries and whipped cream and maybe a blindfold." I hinted, licking my lips. Flack closed his eyes suppressing a shiver.

"You sure we can't just skip dinner and go back home?" he joked, pretending to rise to his feet, before dropping back into his seat. I gave him a mischievous smile over the top of my wine glass.

"We've got all the time in the world."

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I wanted to show the effect it had on both of them. We know that Carmen's having nightmares but I wanted to show Flack's response, esp with the fact they have a child together now. Thanks for your review._

_Forest Angel: I can not imagine Flack in the suburbs lol. I wanted to show that he thinks about his family now and what's best for them. I have no idea why or how I came up with the seagull thing, it just sprung into my head._

_Maddy Bellows: lol thanks for your review; I'm glad you like this chapter. I thought this was a good time to have the conversation. Carmen knows she couldn't be a house wife, she loves being a cop too much!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm glad you like the seagulls, kids are inquisitive creatures. Thanks for the review._

_Axellia: Thanks for the reviews. I love the fact that Flack has a sensitive side. That was my exact image when I was writing the line, "You can not keep it as a pet." I'm glad you understand the thing about the funeral, it also adds to a few things later on._


	30. Chapter 30: Long Gone Ghosts

**AN: ****The later half of this chapter was written by Sparkycsi, she is the owner of Cory and does a wonderful job helping through all of the plot tangles. Thank you for your tireless effort!**

Chapter Thirty

_This will be all over soon.  
Pour salt into the open wound._

Is it over yet? Let me in.

_You take the breath right out of me.  
You left a hole where my heart should be.  
You got to fight just to make it through,  
'cause I will be the death of you._

_Breaking Benjamin - Breath_

Thomas opened his mouth, managing to raise the spoon coated with beans into his mouth with minimum effort. Danny applauded from across the table, dipping his own chopsticks into the take out carton.

"I knew this parenting thing was easier than your mother let on." Danny confided in Thomas, who laughed at the smile on Danny's face. Danny chuckled.

The knocking on Danny's door snapped them both out of the moment. Thomas's head was swivelling looking for the source of the noise. Danny rolled his eyes, looking back at Thomas as he stood up.

"I bet that's your mom calling in to check up on us both." Danny told the small boy, whose dark hair fell across his forehead as he tilted his head.

"Ma, ma?" Thomas echoed. Danny opened the door, his jaw dropping as he surveyed the woman in front of him.

"Sorry kid, it's not your mom." He managed to mutter, he couldn't stop staring at the woman in front of him. It was the last person in the word he'd expected to turn up.

Her beech coloured hair was different now, shorter and jagged. Her sense of dress had changed now too. She looked more chic, more mature with a better sense of self. Danny couldn't believe his eyes.

"What are you doing here, Montana?" he asked scowling, folding his arms over his chest. This was the last thing he needed.

"Hey Danny." Lindsey's voice hadn't changed much since he'd last seen her.

"I came to see you…Can I come in?" Lindsey asked taking a step forward. Danny was frowning.

"Montana, you walked out of my life with virtually no explanation. What makes you think I'm going to let you back into it?" Danny questioned.

"Dakey?" In the silence between the two adults, Thomas was calling Danny's name. Lindsey froze. Danny's face was stone cold.

"I've got to see to him." He stated, turning his back on her and moving into the apartment so Thomas could see him. His little face was confused but lit up when he saw that Danny had returned.

"It's alright, little guy I'm still here." Danny replied, giving Thomas a little wave. Thomas giggled waving his spoon in return. Danny turned to address the new problem of Lindsey to see her closing the front door to his apartment behind her, her designer handbag hanging off her shoulder.

"Who's the baby?" Lindsey asked, treading softly to the table where Thomas was sitting. Thomas waved his spoon at her crossly, sensing the mood in the room.

Lindsey set her bag, open on the table near Thomas and dropped into a chair facing Danny.

"He looks a lot like Flack, but he has Carmen's eyes." Lindsey commented wistfully. Danny bit, his lip and shook his head.

"You didn't come here to catch up Montana; you have no reason to be here." Danny stated.

"I just…I just wanted to see you Danny, it's been a long time and I can't get you out of my head." Danny starred at her in disbelief.

"You left me."

"I needed to sort myself out, get all my ducks in a row. I've done that now, I have a successful career, and no drama like there was here, everything's just perfect now…well almost." Lindsey revealed fluttering her eye lashes.

"Drama? Those people were your friends and you let them down!" Danny seethed. "It wasn't drama, it was life and that's what life is. It's not their fault you couldn't take it," he continued, trying to keep his voice as low as possible as not to scare Thomas, whom he noticed was happily shovelling the remains of his cold dinner into Lindsey's bag. He was about to contest this when Lindsey spoke.

"There's a job offer in Chicago, I recommended you for it." Danny gaped at her, Thomas's actions drowned out by the arrogance of this woman.

"You did what now?" Danny hissed.

"There'll be a letter coming in the mail. I think you should take the job. It's a lot more money and it's safer than here." Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Why on earth would I want to move to Chicago when all of my family is here?" he asked her bluntly, unable to understand the logic of her thinking. Lindsey rose to her feet, and took slow steps towards him. Her eyes roved his body and Danny did not like the suggestive look in her eyes.

"Because then we can be together." Lindsey said. "I still want to be with you Danny and I want this to work, but it won't work here. You deserve a fresh start away from all this." She spread her arms indicating the whole apartment.

Danny was already starting to feel that there was a possibility that his head was going to explode. After everything, he could not believe that this was happening. He rubbed his hands on his face before responding.

"You left me with barely anything, Lindsey. You abandoned Carmen and Flack when they needed you. You became a completely different person and now you're back trying to what…make me move in with you, give up everything, my family, my home and my girlfriend so that we can be together." Danny shook his head, his eyes glinting with a mix of anger and sadness.

Lindsey stared at him open mouthed for a moment.

"You have a girlfriend?" she paused for a moment; Danny could see the cogs moving in her head.

"It's Cory isn't it?" she exclaimed shaking her head. "I told you that's what he wanted but you wouldn't believe me."

She was seething now. Danny stared at her wondering how he could have put so much effort into someone so conceited.

"Get out Lindsey. I mean it; I don't want to see you again." Danny told her disgusted, shaking his head. Lindsey studied Danny's face for a second.

"You could have had a great career Danny; you wouldn't have had to stumble up the ladder like everyone else," she snarled, yanking up her bag and hoisting it onto her shoulder.

Danny snorted as she spoke, holding the door open for her.

"And look where that got you. Cold, bitter and twisted. You made your bed, now lie in it!" he sneered. Lindsey slammed the door behind her.

Danny turned to Thomas who had opened his arms feeling Danny's depression beginning to set in. Danny scooped him from the high chair. Thomas snuggled into his neck, hugging Danny.

"Ok Dakey." Thomas said using his chubby fist to pat Danny's face. Danny let out a little laugh.

"I think you deserve a high five for putting beans in her bag little man." Thomas held up his little hand as Danny clapped his against it.

-----------------------

The TV was on but Danny wasn't actually watching it. His mind was on the events of the last month. He missed Cory fiercely. Every night he heard the final argument playing in his head. She wouldn't return his calls.

Being home alone on Valentine's Day had never bothered him before; he'd had plans with Cory though. He loved thinking through all the surprises that made her face light up. Their relationship was hanging in the air and Lindsey's appearance had put him in a state of shock. He still thought of Cory as his girlfriend. Hell, he loved her. There wasn't a chance in hell he was ever going to return to life with Lindsey.

Danny's heart ached as he thought of all the things he could have been doing with Cory. That's part of the reason he'd offered to watch Thomas. He wanted something else to focus on besides the misery he was feeling. He also knew that Flack had wanted to do something special for Carmen to try and make up for the time lost whilst she'd been undercover.

Danny sighed; he couldn't go on like this anymore. The pain in his chest felt fresh all the time. His hand was on the phone already dialling.

"_You have gotten through to the voice mail of Cory Reid; please leave a message after the tone."_

"Cory…it's me, Danny," he hesitated before pushing on.

"I just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day, bella. I'm missing you a lot. Cory…I need to know…I need to know what's going to happen. Should I keep hoping that you're going to forgive me? Is there any hope for our relationship? I love you bella always." He hung up and curled up on the couch, watching the rest of the game.

-----------------------

Cory stared down at the papers in front of her. She was trying to wrap up the case that had sent her to Dallas, so she could go home. _Strange, that I consider New York as home now,_ she thought. Wearily, she leaned back in her chair, stretching the tension out of her back. She glanced around the darkened office; she was one of the very few agents that were still in the office. Sighing, she decided to go back to her house, thankful that she had decided to keep it for a vacation home when she moved to New York.

Thirty minutes later, she was shivering while she walked into the dark house. The weatherman had been right for once and it was snowing softly. After she got changed into a pair of sweats, she sat in front of her fireplace, looking down at her cell phone.

Finally, she decided to check her voicemail, knowing that the only call she hadn't answered was from Danny. By the time she was at the end of the message, tears were running down her checks. _Oh, Danny. Chere. I love you, too. I want to make this right, I just don't know. I want to keep hoping, too._

Wiping her face, she thought about their last fight, trying to figure out what she could have done. Shaking her head, she realized that both of them had tempers. She shook her head as she thought about what her best friend had told her. _You're going to fight, but is making up worth it? Ask yourself these three questions. Do you love him? What would your life be with him? Can you imagine your life without him? _

As she stared into the flames, she found the answers in her heart. _Yes, I love you Danny. I would be happy with you and can't imagine being without you. _Feeling a sense of peace come over her, she quickly dialled his number.

"_Cory?"_

"Hey, Danny. I got your message," she said with hesitation in her voice.

"_Bella? I miss you. I'm sorry I overreacted."_

Cory smiled sensing the hesitation that he was feeling. "I know. I'm sorry I just left, but you know the job. I'm trying to get the case wrapped up. I hope to be back within the next couple of weeks, so let's talk when I get back, okay?"

Danny felt a sense of resignation coming over him, but he did understand. _"All right. I can do that." Thomas chose that moment to wake up crying. "Listen, I gotta go, but I love you, bella."_

"Go take care of Thomas, Danny. G'night," she said softly before hanging up the phone. _I love you, too._

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I was thinking about it and thought if I was Don I would have used my camera phone! Lol I thought it was the kind of thing he could tease her with. You get your wish of more!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: It's not a prob I'm glad you like it. I fell in love with Axellia's work. You should try Sparkycsi's stories if you're beginning to get into OC's and Maybe Nola Rising by Madison Bellows. These girls are the top of their game with OCs! Those three are the three major players when it comes to writing OC CSI: NY stories._

_Back to the chapter. I loved writing it. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves and getting back to what started their whole relationship. Thanks for the review hun!_

_Sparkycsi: lol I got hot thinking about it too. I with I had a Flack or a Matt, I'll let you have Danny! I thought the medicine had knocked you out; I was thinking about it this morning and had images of you passing out at the laptop. Thanks for your help darling!_

_Axellia: Cuddles to you and all the rabbitlings! Seriously I hope it gets better for you with your job! Lol that sounds so cute! I wanted to bring the whole thing back to base, so people would remember how this all started between them. The rabbits are darlings!_


	31. Chapter 31: What's Up Gus?

Chapter Thirty One

_Play it by ear  
Play devil's advocate  
Whenever I fear  
pay for it afterward_

_How do I feel  
Glorified refugee?  
Nobody ever says goodbye  
I don't mind._

_Finley Brown – Come Home_

Gus had been quiet all day; Flack had noticed her subdued mood from the moment he'd stepped into the precinct. There were no smiles for him even when he surprised her with coffee and a muffin. She didn't respond in the same way she always did to the jibes of the other Detectives. She just sat there, going through sheet after sheet of paper work. Not speaking.

The ride to the crime scene was abnormally long as they sat stuck in traffic. Flack turned his head, gazing out of the passenger window at the pedestrians crowding on the street. The back of her hand rested against her mouth and she looked deep in thought.

"Are you ok?" Flack broke the silence. Concern was evident on his face, as was the tired expression on Gus's. Gus gave him a small smile before turning back to the window.

"I'm fine." She stated in a voice that wished no more communication.

"You've been quiet all day." Flack pointed out. Gus shrugged before sighing.

"I'm just tired." She declared without looking at him. Flack shook his head seeing he was getting nowhere with this line of conversation. Truth be told, he was more than a little concerned with the state of Gus's health at the current moment. She seemed to be getting thinner by the minute, her face becoming gaunt. She said she was overworking and tired, but Flack wasn't sure how true this was. He knew Mac had had a word with her too, although he had no idea what was said.

"Flack, are you happy at the moment…I mean is there anything that you need?" Flack's head darted towards her, mouth working in surprise. Gus's eyes were on him intently.

"What?" He couldn't work his brain over the words that just came out of her mouth.

"I mean do you and Carmen need anything, for Thomas, for yourselves, anything?" Flack blinked at her, his face distorted in confusion.

"You wanna back up a second and tell me what this is about?" Flack asked frowning.

Gus turned her body towards him, but shrunk back, her back leaning against the locked car door.

"Like Thomas' college fund, or a down payment on a house, I mean your both thinking about getting out of the city at some point aren't you?" Gus persisted, almost desperate.

"Sunshine, do you not see the confusion on my face right now, what's brought on all this. Me and Carmen are fine right now." Flack told her, puzzled about the change in Gus's behaviour.

"The traffic's moving…" Flack blinked at her in disbelief, before turning to face the road, and continuing to drive. At the next set of traffic lights, he allowed himself a sidelong gaze in Gus's direction. She was facing the window again.

------------------

The room where the body was immaculate, as if someone had given it a through cleaning before leaving.

"Hey guys, what have we got?" Hawkes asked as I set my kit down by my feet and began studying the room with cautious eyes.

"DB, Victor Andrews, 54, died in bed by the looks of it." Flack said. Gus was on the other side of the room. I hadn't worked with her in a few days but I had noticed that she didn't look well. Her skin was paler than usual, dark circles under eyes. She'd lost a lot of weight since Christmas and it was only February.

"This room is scary clean, does he have a maid?" I asked, unable to believe that anyone's home could be this tidy.

"Maybe he's OCD?" Flack tossed back. Sheldon nodded his response.

"Right we'll let you two get to work, I'm going to interview a few of his neighbours and get a clear picture of the guy, Gus is going to be just in the other room." Flack stated, more for Gus's benefit it seemed rather than ours.

"Bedroom or en suite bathroom?" Sheldon asked. His dark eyes were on me. I gave him a bright smile.

"I'll take the mystery of the freakishly clean bedroom, and you can take the bathroom." Hawkes chuckled.

"You have a thing about a clean bedroom?" Hawkes asked curiously, picking up his kit. I shrugged trying to work out what was concerning me.

"The living room isn't nearly as clean, it just seems suspicious to me." I told him honestly. Hawkes nodded his head knowingly before taking off to the en suite bathroom.

-------------------

"What do you got Doc?" I exclaimed as both me and Hawkes entered the morgue. Sid was already drawing the sheet off the body to show us his findings.

"It's great to see you so energetic today Miss Devine, we've been missing your cheeriness down here." Sid teased warmly. I returned the smile.

"Right ladies and gentlemen. Our Vic was a very sick man." I raised my eyebrows as Sid looked at me.

"He was in the late stages of lung cancer. This man only had a few weeks to live; the cancer had taken over his body completely damaging all of his vital organs. It seems sad; he was in physical prime for his age group."

"We found medals for marathons and things. The guy was a top runner in all the charity marathons over the past few years." Hawkes told Sid before continuing.

"If he was dying of cancer wouldn't he be in a hospice or at least have some sort of pain medication? My grandpa died from bowel cancer, they kept him doped up to the eyeballs as best they could when it was getting to the end." I remarked, deep in thought.

"Sometimes if the patient has family they take him home or they have a nurse who cares for him at home. I didn't find any meds at all in the whole apartment." Hawkes reminded me.

"He's definitely been using them, there's a large amount of pain meds in his system. The more interesting part of this body is the marks around his mouth. I found specimens of feather inside his mouth." Sid took the glasses off his face and peered at me.

"Cause of death was asphyxiation."

Hawkes and I exchanged a thoughtful look.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Hawkes asked, my mind was already drawing links to the evidence we had in the evidence locker.

"I've sent the rest of the evidence to Trace. Happy hunting." He said before covering the tragic face of the man lying on the slab.

---------------------

Hawkes held up the pillow case in front of me. I shook my head.

"That's a death mask if I ever saw one." I said, beginning to tidy away the implements that Sheldon had been using to see the death mask.

"Which means someone smothered Victor Andrews." Hawkes set the pillow case down and began to photograph it.

"I got Gus to check his records, he wasn't assigned a nurse but someone must have been looking after him. Sid said the guy was pretty much bed ridden from the cancer, he couldn't look after himself, which means someone else would have had to." I was thinking out loud. Sheldon leaned on the work bench, all the cogs turning in his brain.

"I think this could be an act of euthanasia." He told me, I let out a deep breath.

"Euthanasia still counts as a form of murder." I pointed out.

"His caregiver probably took all of the meds with them, erasing all evidence of the cancer, visually anyway." Hawkes added.

"So we need to find his caregiver." I concluded.

"Let's see what Gus and Flack came up with from the neighbours." Hawkes remarked, already getting his phone out of his pocket and dialling.

Cases like this always caused some sort of discomfort for all those involved and I felt that this case was about to hit home.

----------------------------------

I was sitting on Flack's desk, eating cookies from the secret stash in his drawer when Gus rushed in waving a piece of paper around wildly. She drew to halt in front of me, holding it up triumphantly.

"It has taken me…an hour…to pry this away…from the hospital files." She glowered between breaths. Flack moved around his desk, he was clearly as concerned as I was about the fact Gus seemed pretty breathless.

"Hey, breathe or second will you sunshine." Flack said taking the paper form her hands and studying it for a second. I offered Gus a cookie whilst trying to peer over Flack's shoulder. She took it before leaning on her own desk trying to get her breath back.

"Looks like you guys have got something." Hawkes said, handing one of the two bottles of waters in his hand. I passed it to Gus.

"You need it more than I do at the minute." I said kindly. She took it gratefully, her breathing returning to normal.

"It's the release form from the hospital. It has the signature of whoever signed our Vic out." Flack told us.

"I ran her through the system, she was up for being drunk and disorderly a few years ago, but other than that she's clean. But I got an address." Gus told us all after taking a swig of her water.

"She's looking pretty good for a suspect." I confirmed.

"Right Team Flack, let's move out." Flack hollered pointing at the doorway. The three of us stopped dead and turned to face Flack who was now starting to go a wonderful shade of beetroot red.

"You are so lame." Gus snorted before rolling her eyes and continuing towards the parking garage with Hawkes laughing by her side.

"Thomas thinks my jokes are cool." Flack muttered at me. I couldn't hide the smirk on my face.

"Thomas hasn't even reached his second birthday yet." I pointed out as Don stuck his tongue out at me. Grabbing my hand he tugged me in the direction we were meant to be going.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol she well deserved it but I did like C's idea of hitting her in the head with it! I wish I'd done it now! Glad your feeling better. Did you make it into work? lol It sounds like it was worth it. _

_Axellia: lol Real genuine plot bunnies! Lol you are way suppressing violence. Lol I wish I'd have thought of the baby thing, but Thomas looks a lot like Flack and both Cory and Danny don't have dark hair! Thanks for the review!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol if I ever want a child it's gonna be like Thomas. I wanted to see what would happen if she did come back. I mean opening up to Danny was a big step for her so I thought she may come back and see what's happening with him. Its a few more chapters until Cory's return tho._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I wanted Thomas to do something in response to Linds being there! It gets mentioned later on she tries to get Danny to foot the bill for the hand bag!_

_JoanneF: lol I like the Danny and Cory pairing better too. I wanted show how Linds was doing now and I'm glad you like the fluff chapters. Thanks for the reviews._


	32. Chapter 32: The Mystery of Gus Broussard

Chapter Thirty Two

_When it gets cold outside_

_and you got nobody to love  
You'll understand what I mean when I say  
There's no way we're gonna give up  
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster_

_That lives in her dreams_

_Is there anyone out there _

_Cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe_

_Maroon 5 – Harder To Breathe_

Hawkes and I were standing either side of the door Flack was pounding on the it while Gus was on the other side of the doorway gun un-holstered.

The door swung open revealing an older woman with red and gold tints in her hair. Her dull blue eyes studied the four of us before she hung her head hung and held out her arms.

"Yes, it was me. I killed Victor Andrews." I knew the expression on Gus's face was the same as mine as she slapped the cuffs on and read Mary Dickenson her rights.

-------------------------

Flack

Flack surveyed the room and the woman before deciding which course of action to take in his interrogation. Gus was leaning against the wall next to the mirror, her arms were folded over her chest her eyes on the woman in front of her. Hawkes and Carmen had told him the evidence pointed to euthanasia; the woman's posture told him she wasn't going to fight them so he was going to make this as painless as possible.

"Mary, can you tell us about the confession you made in front of us and Detective Devine and Doctor Hawkes this afternoon?" Flack asked Mary who raised her lifeless eyes to meet his and nodded.

"I killed Victor Andrews yesterday. I pressed a pillow over his face." She admitted.

"Would you like to tell us why?" Gus drawled from across the room.

"His cancer was in its final stages. He told me he didn't want it to waste him away." She took a deep breath and met Gus's gaze full on.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to see someone you care about in that much pain?" she asked quietly, shaking her head. There were tears in her eyes.

"Victor had always been in his physical prime. He ran marathons exercised, he'd never touched a cigarette in his life. He went to help out in New Orleans when Katrina struck and he spent months out there, amongst the debris and the flood water, helping people the best he could. Then suddenly, a couple of months after he came back, he became sick. It started off with coughing and there were continuous chest infections." Mary's eyes were still on Gus, who was staring at her with a look Flack could only described as stifled horror.

"Eventually I convinced him to go to the doctor, but by that time." Mary sniffed, staring at her hands.

"The cancer had moved further round his body, they tried operating but it had progressed too far. He didn't want to die alone in a hospice so I became his caregiver. At first it was fine; I could handle seeing him dying." Her eyes were downcast.

"And then the pain started, so bad that the pain killers couldn't stifle it. He'd cry sometimes because of it. I'd never seen Victor cry until the pain started. He asked me to help him die not soon after." Flack was wrapped up in the story, intent on seeing this through to the end. He couldn't imagine being in this woman's position. He took a mental step back to keep himself from becoming too involved.

"You have to understand." Mary pleaded; her eyes were on Gus now again.

"It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but seeing him go through all that pain was destroying us both. So I did as he asked. I put a pillow over his face. Cleaned the room so there was no evidence, that he'd ever even had cancer. I gave him the dignified death he deserved. You have no idea what it's like seeing someone you love in that much pain." Mary was weeping openly now. Her hands over her face as she cried. Pity filled Flack as he and Gus exited the room, giving Mary a few minutes to pull herself together.

The air in the corridor was cool, and empty. Gus let out a deep shuddering sigh before collapsing into the chairs that lined the corridor. Her hands were over her face. Flack dropped down next to her loosening his tie to breath.

"I hate cases like this." He muttered. Gus nodded her face still in her hands. Flack turned his head towards Gus and noticed she was shaking.

"Are you ok…" A strange noise erupted from Gus; she raised her face to reveal tears running freely down it. Concerned, Flack wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. The flood gates opened and before he knew it she was sobbing bitterly into his chest. He stroked her hair gently, feeling a little alarmed by the amount of emotion he was seeing from Gus. Eventually Gus pulled away wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry." She sniffed, looking down. Flack took her hand, studying her face in profile.

"Gus please tell me…" he trailed off as she met his eyes suddenly.

"I have cancer." She blurted out. Flack stared at her numb, unsure what to do or say. Things started to fit into place, her weight loss, her constant tiredness, the strange conversation in the car this morning.

"Are you dying?" he whispered, unable to think of anything else. Gus's eyes looked haunted. Flack felt devastated at the news, he couldn't imagine what Gus must be feeling

"I don't know." She murmured covering her face with her hands again. Flack stood up and held out his hand to Gus.

"Let's get out of here and we can talk about this over lunch somewhere." Gus wearily nodded her agreement before Flack took off back into the interrogation room to transfer their suspect.

---------------------------

The diner that Flack had picked was quiet and just far away enough from the precinct. Flack escorted Gus to the most private booth he could manage. Flack ordered coffee and a sandwich and the same for Gus. Her eyes were still red rimmed from her breakdown.

"So talk me through it." Flack said finally, sipping from his coffee after the waitress set it down in front of them. She gave Flack a wink before sashaying away from the table. Gus rolled her eyes and focused back on Flack's question.

"Everything that Mary said was true. One millions gallons of oil got spilt from Murphy Oil, and that's the stuff they know about. The EPA tests conclude there's loads of different chemicals spread all over the place, nobody's sure what was in the flood water, but ever since anyone who had any long term contact have started developing things that they didn't have before, like asthma, and cancers, strange tumours." Gus explained. Don was astounded at this knowledge. He shook his head appalled. Gus was looking at her hands now, playing with her fork.

"I went the doctors not long after Christmas, I thought I was anaemic because I felt so tired and sick all the time. The doctor ran some tests…they discovered it was cancer, and yesterday they told me. They're not sure how far it's gone. Kidney cancer is one of the rarest forms, even rarer in females, but somehow I've got it. The place I loved so much is killing me." She choked trying to hold it all back. Flack reached out and touched her hand gently, giving her a sympathetic look.

"I have to have an operation in about a couple of days to see how far it's gone…Please don't tell Mac, he doesn't need anymore on his plate, not with what happened to Carmen, and you don't either. I just…this case got to me. I started wondering what I would do if I was Victor." Gus told him bluntly. She was calmer now, but her words still scared Flack immensely.

"It's better to talk to someone about this than keep it all inside. When's your operation?" he asked quietly, furrowing his brow.

"Monday." She said softly.

"I'm off on Monday; if you want someone there I'll be there." Flack told her. Gus stared at him unsure on what to say. She felt deeply moved by Flack's words.

"It helps to have someone there." He reminded her, sipping his coffee. Gus let out a deep sigh.

"I can do this on my own." She stated defensively. Flack shook his head.

"Why? This isn't about proving yourself, Sunshine. This is serious. You need to start letting people in. This is something that you can't do on your own. Let me help you." His eyes were on her intent and honest. Gus closed her eyes for a second before letting out a deep sigh.

"I don't want to be treated differently because you know now." She scowled, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Flack gave her a boyish smile.

"I wouldn't even dream of it." They are in silence for a few minutes, both absorbing what had transpired.

"Flack?" Don looked up at her, chewing his sandwich.

"Thank you." She whispered earnestly. Flack just simply shrugged.

"What are partners for?"

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: LMAO I so could not help it, I was in a playful mood yesterday when I was adding a little bit to the chapter. I've already had a review telling me I can't kill Gus off, so she is well liked! Lol I'm glad you like what I'm doing with her. I'm thinking about hooking her up with someone but I'm not sure your gonna have to give me a hand figuring out what kind of man she likes._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol she's not coming back after that I'm afraid it was a one off to pile some pressure on Danny and show how things have changed for him. Glad you liked the chapters. Lol I had no idea you liked the story so much!_

_Maurandingknight: lol I'll let you determine how nuts I am as story continues. Gus is going to be featuring a bit more soon while I'm running with two other storylines, so you'll have to see what else happens. I'm glad you love Carmen she's the best Oc I've ever written._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I wanted to out a fun moment in there and I was in a playful mood. Thanks for the review!_

_Sparkycsi: I wanted to get some light heartedness in to the chapter and show that they all were comfortable with each other so I thought why not. I have no idea where the Team Flack thing came from. Lol I really hope you feel better soon!_


	33. Chapter 33: Haunted

Chapter Thirty Three

_A smile that you cant disguise  
Every minute I keep finding  
Clues that you leave behind.  
Save me from these reminders  
As if Id forget tonight  
This time la luna,_

_New moon on M__onday  
And a firedance through the night_

_Duran Duran – New Moon On Monday_

The authentically French themed café was located on the corner of the street. The February chill had set back in and I was finding the cold wind less than pleasant. Taylor waved to me as I slipped through the door, shutting it quickly behind me.

The gift bag was swinging in my hand as I treaded towards her beaming. She rose to her feet, and we hugged each other tightly before settling down in our seats.

We were celebrating Taylor's birthday a day late, I hadn't seen her since before everything that had happened in January. I'd been busy recovering and she's been stuck in the lurch with the paper and ghost helping.

"Hey, this is for you from Flack and me. Flack picked the colour," I told her handing her the large gift bag. Taylor took it from me peering inside, before pulling out a large box. She tugged the ribbon and tore at the paper before staring at the appliance.

"You guys got me an orange juicer?" she squealed pulling something else out of the bag.

"And oranges." I confirmed. Taylor grinned at me.

"Just do not forget to put the lid on." I reminded her. Taylor pulled a face, which I couldn't help but laugh at.

Taylor picked up the menu as I did mine.

"So how are you doing?" she asked quietly, her eyes on me over the menu. I busied myself looking at the menu.

"I'm ok really; I still have nightmares, but they're less frequent now." I reassured her, glancing up.

Taylor's eyes weren't on me, they were fastened on something over my shoulder, I turned my head and saw nothing but the wall.

"Taylor?" I asked in a whisper. "Are you being haunted again?"

Taylor's eyes focused on mine as a look of puzzlement dawned on her face. For a second, she studied my face. Her hesitation was evidence form her expression.

"What is it?" I persisted.

"I think your being haunted." She said in a low tone. I recoiled, feeling a shiver rushing up my spine. At first I was filled with horror but then I remembered some of the things Taylor had said about ghosts and began to settle down.

"How do you know?" I asked thoughtfully.

"He followed you in here; he doesn't look like the others usually do." Taylor told me in hushed tones. By that I knew she meant he didn't look in the same state his body would have been.

"What does he look like?" I hissed. Taylor's eyes returned to the ghost lingering over my shoulder.

"Tall black guy. He's quite muscular. He's showing me a tattoo on his arm. It's a name…" she paused trying to read it. I covered my face with my hands.

"The name on his arm is Jordan. It's Eddy, the ghost is Eddy, the guy who was killed when I was undercover." I told her, grinding my teeth from the cover of my hands.

"He's nodding." Taylor remarked. I clenched my jaw unable to understand what I was supposed to be feeling. I let out a deep breath before looking at Taylor whose mouth was set in a grim line.

"Eddy…" I began, trying to address the ghost. "I am so sorry for what happened…"

Taylor cut me off. "He's shaking his head. I don't think that's what he wants. He's tapping his tattoo."

I shook my head, thinking for a second. "I don't understand." I said out loud.

Taylor was staring at something right next to us. She frowned confused.

"He's showing me your card." Taylor told me, returning her gaze to me.

My mind rewound to a month ago, standing by Eddy's wife Louise, handing her my card.

"He wants me to go and see Louise?" I asked curiously. Taylor turned her head to wear I could only imagine Eddy was standing.

"He's nodding." Taylor told me.

"Fancy a ride?" I asked her, rising to my feet and snatching up a bag. We both sighed at the same time.

"I'll get our lunch to go and meet you in the car." She told me before moving towards the bar of the restaurant.

"If you're still there Eddy, I am really sorry. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I just want to say thank you for not telling them who I was." The napkin on the table next to me fluttered for a second as if swayed by an invisible breeze before not moving at all. I took it as a sign that he'd been listening. I looked up and saw several people staring at me oddly. It took me a second to realize that I must have looked like I was talking to myself.

Rolling my eyes and setting off towards the door, I realized that this was what Taylor must feel like the majority of the time.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!!!**_

_ForestAngel: I didn't want to make it painfully obvious and I wanted an actual reason for her to break down to Flack. Gus is a very interior character, she doesn't really let anyone in so I felt to have her break down in front of him, she'd be forced to share!_

_Axellia: lol cyber hugs right back at you. Lol I do that stuff all the time so no probs. Hell even I'm worried about Gus. I'm glad I was able to get the relationship between the two across! Don't let the man get you down!_

_Sparkycsi: lol I wanted to show their relationship and how much they're in tune with each other. Thanks for the help with 41, there was no way I could have written who he was to Cory._

_Maddy Bellows: lol squishing you back. I've sent the newest chap with her in, so tell me what you think and if you want to change anything. Even I was a little bit sad at this chapter!_


	34. Chapter 34: Being There

Chapter Thirty Four

_Watching me, wanting me  
I can feel you pull me down  
Fearing you, loving you  
I won't let you pull me down_

_Evanescence – Haunted_

"Does Carmen know you're here?" Gus asked wearily, running her hands through her hair and pacing the waiting room wearily. Don shook his head, watching her pace, before jumping up and resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Sunshine sit down, your making me nervous doing that." Flack told her staring directly into her yes. Gus let out a shuddering sigh before dropping down in the seat Flack had previously been occupying. Flack sat down next to her, his hand rubbing her back comfortingly.

"You're going to be fine." He told her. Gus bowed her head and nodded wearily. Her fingers were knitted together in front of her.

"You can tell Carmen, I think she deserves to know where you are today." Gus said softly. Flack felt his heart warm to this woman; she was caring about everyone else when she should have been caring about herself.

"I think she knows I'm doing something important, she'd hate the idea that you were going to come alone." Flack told her honestly.

Gus's head darted up as her name was called. She rose to her feet, for a second Flack thought he'd never seen a stronger person. Gus took a step forward and then hesitated, Flack could tell she was scared. He stood next to her, and gave her a tiny push forward.

"The doctor said I could come in with you while they put you under and I'll be there when you wake up." He reassured her. The muscles in Gus's jaw tightened as she nodded.

With her head up, Gus marched towards the doctor with purpose, and Flack let out a small smile, happy to see some resemblance of the old stubborn Gus.

--------------------------------

Flack sat next to Gus holding her hand tightly as she breathed in and out softly. The operation had taken two hours to complete and Gus was due to come around in the next few minutes. The results would be available in the next few hours.

Flack closed his eyes tightly. He wasn't sure what he'd do if there was life without Gus. He had to willingly admit that she was the best partner he'd ever had, she made him laugh when they had a gruelling case. She kept pace, she acted human and she had been there for him when he'd really needed it. He adored her for it. She had cared for his family so much.

Flack's thoughts were interrupted when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He raised his head to see Gus's eyelashes fluttering open.

"Hey…" he said quietly so not to alarm her. Gus's hand tightened around his.

"Hey." She murmured, moving her head in the direction of his voice. Her head lolled on the pillow.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"Like I just went through a hurricane." She told him. Flack stifled a laugh at her tiny smile.

"The doctors should have the results soon." Flack said, reaching over to pour Gus a cup of water. She tried to shuffle upwards in bed to take it from his hand and sip it. Gus looked lost a little, like she wanted to ask him something but couldn't quite bring herself to.

"I'll stay until you get the results and then we can talk through your options. I'll be back tomorrow with the best muffins I can find so you won't have to suffer the horror of hospital food." Gus tapped his hand gently, her eyes fluttering closed. Flack could see she was trying to stay awake.

"Hey." He said tilting his head.

"I'll be here when you're awake. Get some rest." Gus nodded briefly before slipping back into a sedated sleep.

_**CHECK OUT GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol I think that line alone sets up what he is, esp if people have read WTECS. Thanks for your help last night; those lines were becoming a nightmare to try to figure out. Lol Trying to post a chapter before rushing off to work. I forgot that I'd written this chapter._

_Bluehavan4220: lol it's not a problem, I know what it's like sharing a pc, when I first started writing Simply Devine, I had to share the pc with four brothers, one whose whole social life evolved around myspace in particular would lean over me until I got off it. Lol I liked Eddy and Louise too, it's just a shame that Eddy ended up being killed. Thanks for the review._

_Axellia: OMG! They are little rascals! I was thinking along the same lines as you with Carmen, she needed some form of closure esp when it came to Eddy's death. I can't believe what the rabbits did lol. I was just going to send you 41, It looks pretty good._

_JoanneF: lol I wish I had a Flack. He is a great friend to have. Here's another Gus centric chapter for you. I hope you like it! Thanks for the review._


	35. Chapter 35: Jordan

Chapter Thirty Five

_Another place I have to be  
Put on my face no time to see my reflection _

_Or hear the sounds  
Of poetry philosophy and all the things that make you wonder _

_How this world goes round_

_Patty Medina – Still Life_

The door swung open as soon as my knuckles touched it.

"Jordan?!" Louise's worried face appeared at the crack at the door. I gave her a resigned finger wave, concerned about her expression.

"Sorry. It's me Carmen Devine. We met at your husband's funeral." I reminded her. Louise nodded before opening the door and seeing Taylor standing there.

"She's a friend of mine. We were in the neighbourhood and I wanted to stop in, see how you and Jordan were doing." I half lied. Louise regarded me wearily.

"Actually, I was thinking about calling you." Louise notified me quietly, opening the door fully to beckon us in.

I stepped into the hall way, my eyes rooming as she lead us into the living room.

"Do you need my help?" I asked getting straight down to the point. Louise looked at me, dropping her guard.

"I think so." She said softly. "Let me make us some tea and I'll explain everything."

Louise left the room with me and Taylor glancing at each other.

"What's he doing?" I whispered.

"Who?" Taylor asked confused.

"Eddy!" Taylor glanced sidelong at the couch.

"He's really just sitting there, oh wait, now he's pointing at his tattoo."

"He wants us to ask about Jordan?" I asked as quietly as I could, hearing Louise clinking about in the kitchen. Taylor turned to the couch, staring thoughtfully at it.

"Apparently so." We both dropped down to sit on the couch as Louise entered carrying a tray full of tea. She offered the mugs to me and Taylor. We took them; I felt Taylor squirm uncomfortably as I leant closer to the coffee table that was now between us and Louise.

"So how's Jordan doing? I don't see him around," I said going with Eddy's prompting. Louise's gaze turned to Taylor who was wriggling a little on her side of the couch, before responding to my comment.

"I was going to call you because…well…Jordan hasn't come home yet." Her cheeks flushed red in shame. I stared at her. I could understand why she was concerned.

"He was supposed to come straight home from school, but he hasn't come home yet. Since his dad died he's been getting into fights." Louise bent her head.

"The other kids have been calling his dad a narc and obviously it's getting to him." Louise shook her head sadly. I stretched out my hand, ignoring Taylor who was still squirming next to me, and touched Louise's gently.

"Kids can be cruel sometimes. I'm sure they'll let up on Jordan soon. What time does school let out?" I asked her.

"Three." I glanced at the clock on the mantle piece. It was five thirty.

"Does he have any friend's houses he usually goes to?" I asked thoughtfully. Louise rubbed at her eyes.

"I've called all of them; he's not at any of them." Tears were in Louise's eyes now; I could tell she was as worried as hell for her little boy. I started thinking more like a cop instead of a mother.

"Can you give me their addresses? You'll be amazed what you can do by flashing a badge," I confided in her. Louise nodded, allowing me to take my note book out of my bag and scribble each one of the kid's names and addresses.

I felt Taylor shift against me, she'd been squirming for the past five minutes and it was really starting to get on my nerves. I elbowed her in the ribs as Louise's attention began to focus on her insistent movement.

"I have allergies," she muttered, trying to shrug it off. Louise gave Taylor a bewildered nod as I twisted my head towards her open mouthed.

"Anyway…" I stated trying to break the awkwardness that was now erupting in the room.

"I'll check out the addresses you've given me and talk to a few of Jordan's friends and see what I can come up with. I'll give you a call as soon as I get something," I said, attempting to reassure Louise. I rose to my feet, Taylor following suit, she let out an audible sigh of relief as she left the sofa.

Louise's gaze started towards her, I closed my eyes for a brief second.

_Lord give me strength._

"Thanks for the tea." The words tumbled out of my mouth as I opened my eyes and followed Louise to the front door of her home. Louise saw us out, before thanking me profusely.

I waited until I heard the front door shut behind us on the way back to the car before I turned on Taylor.

"What the hell was that about?" I snapped at her quietly. Taylor shuddered for a moment before replying.

"I sat on him," she murmured looking sheepish.

"On who?!" I demanded before it dawned on me. "Oh."

Taylor rolled her eyes at my idiocy, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That is the first and last time I will ever sit through someone again, it was like being dunked in freezing cold water, over and over again," Taylor whined, still shivering. I patted her arm gently.

"I should have realised, I'm sorry," I said shaking my head. Taylor opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the insistent chirping of her cell phone. We were at the car now; I stepped off the curb and moved around the car towards the driver's side. I leaned my arms on top of the car as Taylor snapped her phone shut, a scowl crossing her face.

"I'm going to have to love and leave you. The bitch from hell…I mean, work, wants me in to discuss changes in the column," Taylor told me resting her own arms on the top of the car and narrowing her eyes enraged.

"You considered working for another paper?" I asked her, studying the expression on her face.

I knew Taylor had been unhappy in her job ever since Alex had retired as editor just after New Year. She was currently stuck with a boss who seemed to hate her and didn't make allowances for the problems that Taylor faced occasionally. I had to say considering all this I thought Taylor was handling her boss quite well, yet you could tell that the whole situation was getting to her.

Taylor tilted her hair as I brushed the hair from my face before she answered.

"It sounds weird, but I think I'm just sick of working for the paper to be honest. The deadlines are getting harder and harder at the moment. Hell, maybe I'll quit and write a book, I certainly have the connections for it," she said playfully with a wink. I grinned at her from across the car.

"I think that's a good idea, I'd love to read a book written by Taylor Turner, besides you have a fan base to carry you. Matt told me about that woman coming up to you in the park and trying to get a picture with you," I remarked. Taylor grimaced at this reminder as we both opened our car doors.

"That was a little too weird for me," she informed me as we both ducked in to the car shutting the doors behind us.

"I don't blame you." I told her as we both fastened our belts.

"I'll drop you off at the office on the way to one of these addresses," I said as I turned the engine on and checked the review mirror, before pulling out.

"By the way, how's Bernie? He out of his chewing phase yet?" I asked referring to Taylor and Matt's three month old pup.

"He ate Matt's sneakers the other day and then gave Matt this pitiful look when Matt found them. He's quite clever; he hid them under the bed." I found myself laughing out loud. There was a comfortable silence between us. Something that I'd meaning to ask Taylor for a while popped into my head.

"Does Matt know about the ghosts?" I asked her, my eyes still focused on the road.

"He's known for a while now, since just after we moved in. I tried to keep a secret, but I spent half of the time jumping, vomiting or rushing out at odd times. It's hard to explain without the truth, and I wanted the relationship to work so I told the truth." Taylor explained.

I raised an eyebrow.

"How did he take?" I glanced sidelong at Taylor, who snorted.

"A lot better than you did. He said it made a lot of sense," she informed me. My mind was stunned for a moment.

"Wow." That was all I could muster.

"I couldn't believe it either." Taylor admitted. She looked as if she was still surprised by this.

"It's nice having someone to talk to about it you know? Besides you guys of course," she told me honestly. I gave her a warm smile as we drew up to a set of traffic lights.

"What are Flack and Thomas doing today?" Taylor asked curiously as traffic began to move again.

"Danny had Thomas last night for Valentine's Day; Flack's going to pick him up a little bit later before Danny goes on shift. Flack said he had something he had to take care of today. I have no idea what." I confessed pulling up around the corner from Taylor's offices.

"This ok?" I asked.

"Great thanks…Call me later to let me know how it goes with the kids?" Taylor asked, opening the car door and grabbing her bag.

"Of course. Hey remember, I'll help you hide the body if worst comes to worst with you boss." Taylor laughed at my joke, shutting the door and giving me a finger wave. I waved back before getting out my note book andfocusing on the task at hand.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I wanted to show how close they are, and of course add a little humour into a dire situation. It was very thoughtful of you to do that. Thanks for the review._

_Sanghian: lol it gets more interesting. I can appreciate your busy so it's not a problem, I'd like to see what you think as it continues._

_Sparkycsi: lol I think everyone's waiting to see what will happen with Gus! I love that chapter because I love the way they are with each other._

_Maddy Bellows: I've been waiting for an update on your story for ages, and I still am eager to read what you have cooked up. Lol I've just written chapter 44 and trust me she's defo going to be needing wine and bubble baths. Yay! Go plot bunnies!_


	36. Chapter 36: From Pillar to Post

Chapter Thirty Six

_From a handful of names and a thousand faces  
One light, burning fiercely_

_Hold on to what you've given lately._

_KT Tunstall – Hold On_

The task at hand was going to be a little bit of a problem. Taking into consideration the fact that this was my day off, I wasn't supposed to be flashing my badge unless there was emergency. Mac would have my ass if he found out, especially after everything that had happened lately. He'd tell me I was looking for trouble.

I couldn't just let this lie though. Eddy needed help finding his son and I felt I was indebted to him despite the fact he was dead. Eddy had given up his life for me, so I owed at least this to him.

Besides, I was a mother now and all the emotions that came with it were bubbling up inside me. I kept asking myself the question, how would I feel if it was my child?

The motherly emotions were a little overwhelming and surprised me. Since Thomas had been born, I was a lot more affected by certain things than I previously had been.

Shaking off all the thoughts that were in my head, I focused on the rain that was now pattering against my wind screen, and flicked on the wipers.

The first name on the list was Jordan's best friend Stephen Oakes. If anyone could give me an inside glimpse to what had been going on with Jordan lately, it would be this little boy.

Before I knew it I was knocking on the door to a well lit porch. It was already starting to get dark so my concern for Jordan was becoming more forceful.

I knocked again, waiting patiently and putting on the best look of professionalism I could muster on my face. The door opened, showing me the inside of an inviting house. A studious looking black man, his evergreen eyes studied me over the top of half moon glasses. In his hand he held a newspaper and pen, from what I could see it was clear that I'd interrupted him whilst doing the crossword.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely. I showed him my badge, giving him a small smile.

"I'm Detective Devine with the NYPD, I was wondering if I could ask your son a few questions." I caught the expression on Mr Oakes's face before continuing.

"He's not in any trouble or anything. I just need a little help finding Jordan." I clarified. Mr Oakes nodded in understanding before shaking his head.

"Poor Louise must be out of her mind with worry. Come in Detective." He invited opening the door all of the way allowing me into the house.

I stepped into the living room and studied the homely surroundings feeling instantly comfortable. I wish the public where a lot more like this guy when it came down to cops.

"I'll get Stephen for you. Do you want a drink or anything?" I shook my head in response before Mr Oakes left the room, telling me to make myself at home.

I sat down on the couch, my eyes taking in the family portraits that littered the mantle piece.

"That's when Stephen won the award for fastest swimmer in his grade." I turned my head back to the doorway to find Mr Oakes watching me, Stephen in front of him, looking nervous and unsure.

They moved to the couch in front of me and both sat, side by side. Stephen was looking at his hands.

"Stephen, I'm Carmen Devine, a Detective with the NYPD. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions about Jordan?" I asked kindly, trying to meet Stephen's gaze.

Stephen nodded his response, so I continued with my line of questioning.

"When was the last time you saw Jordan?"

"We left school together, he said there was something he needed to do and then ran off." Stephen told me still focusing on the floor rather than on me.

"The boys usually walk home together, either to Louise's or here, it depends what shift Louise or I am working. Since Louise's husband has died she's been spending more time at home and I have the earlier shift in work so we're both home if the boys want to go to whichever house." Mr Oakes explained to me. I took note of this.

"Did Jordan happen to say where he was going?" I knew this was unlikely but best not rule it out. Stephen shook his head saying nothing.

"Was Jordan in trouble in school? His mother told me that he'd been getting into a few fights could you tell me what they were about?" I asked managing to catch the kid's gaze. He had his father's eyes.

"I can't help him if you don't help me." I told Stephen firmly. Stephen bit his lip before opening his mouth. His voice was quiet; I had to lean in closer to hear what he was saying.

"Some of the kids in school were calling Jordan names, they were saying things about his dad and Jordan fought back at them. They started doing mean things to him. Today they stole his back pack!" He exclaimed sadly. My gaze met Mr Oakes, who was frowning, it was clear he didn't condone the behaviour of the other kids at all.

I wondered how much Louise had told him about her husband's work.

"Where were you teachers when all this was going on?" he asked Stephen in a low tone.

"It was after school." Stephen sniffed.

"This is important Stephen, is there any place that Jordan likes to go, or somewhere his Dad used to take him?" I asked thoughtfully. Things were slipping into place, almost. I couldn't push too hard on the boy at the minute.

"There's a pond n the park by school, his Dad used to take him fishing there, you can't really catch anything there besides tiny things, but it was still fun though." Stephen told me openly. His gaze met mine. I could tell the kid cared about his friend deeply.

"Thank you." I said quietly before raising to my feet. Mr Oakes stood up to show me out. Stephen's voice made me turn towards him.

"Will Jordan be in trouble?" he asked. He seemed upset at the thought he could have got his friend in trouble. I shook my head before answering.

"It's not his fault. The important thing is finding him and taking him home." I told Stephen.

I thanked Mr Oakes before leaving and stepped into the dimming daylight to continue my search.

--------------------------------

The streetlamps were on by the time I made it to the park near the school Jordan and Stephen went to. The park itself was shrouded in bushes which hadn't been trimmed in a while. It took me a few minutes to find the gate that would allow me to enter it.

To my right was a children's playground, including the usual slides, swings and see saw. To the left was the pond with a bench overlooking it. The pond was smaller than I had thought it would have been.

I caught sight of the lone figure huddled on the bench. From here he looked tiny. The rain had stopped, but as I treaded closer and closer towards the person, could see that they had been caught in the downpour and were thoroughly drenched.

I dropped onto the soggy bench, wincing as I felt the clammy wetness already spreading through my coat and to my trousers. Ignoring it, I turned to face the rather alarmed boy beside me.

"Hey," I said softly so not to startle him.

"You were at my Dad's funeral," he told me, turning his head to stare at the pond.

"Yea I was…Your mom's pretty worried you know," I said to him trying to share the impact of the situation. Jordan just bowed his head and shrugged before responding with.

"Are you going to arrest me?" It was my turned to be surprised now. I let out a dry chuckle before answering.

"Depends have you done anything illegal?" I joked.

"Not yet," he muttered. I frowned, unsure of how to proceed.

"Is this something to do with your father's death?" I asked quietly. Jordan pursed his lips shut tightly. I leaned forward resting my elbows on my knees and looking into the pond.

"Your father was a brave man Jordan, no matter what people say. He saved a lot of people's lives, including mine and I know that my family and I will never forget that." I implored. Jordan's eyes were on me. He didn't know that his father had died saving me.

"I don't care what the other kids say. Mom told me Dad was a hero that's why he got the medal," he said inquiringly.

"It's true." I agreed.

"They call me names all the time saying that I'm going to be a snitch like my dad, and then they stole my backpack, and Dad's medal was in it. I didn't want to go home because I didn't want Mom to be upset because she thought I'd lost it." Jordan erupted angrily, there were tears of frustration in his eyes and I could see he was shivering.

"I miss Dad all the time," he confessed. I gave him a grim smile, before putting my arm around him.

"He's a good guy to miss…" I hesitated for a second. "He's still watching over you, no matter what you do he'll be there if you need him."

Jordan's eyes widened as his eyes met mine.

"Really?" he asked quietly. I nodded with a worn smile. There was silence between us while Jordan focused on this.

"Why don't we get you home and warm and dry and then you tell me what your backpack looks like and who took it. I'll see if I can get it back," I said, rising to my feet. Jordan followed suit and as we walked back to the car, he began to fill me in on the exact make and colour of his backpack.

-------------------------------------

I was pacing up the path to a bungalow with a chain link fence. I regarded the sign that read "Beware of Dog." Warily, I opened the gate and stepped towards the screen door. The last thing I needed was to get bitten by a dog whilst being somewhere I probably shouldn't.

I rapped my knuckles on the outside of the screen door before opening it and stepping into the porch way, nearly tripping over something. I ignored it as I heard loud footsteps in the hallway. My badge was already in hand as I found myself confronted with a balding man with a bulging stomach and a bottle of beer in his hand.

I flashed my badge.

"Mr Irvine, I'm here to speak with your son." Mr Irvine looked me up and down before calling inside the house.

"Chad, you been bringing cops to my door again? Get your ass down here."

_Lovely. _I thought.

Mr Irvine's glare was on me again and I didn't like it. I wanted to go bathe myself as soon as possible.

"What's he done this time?" he growled. I took his threatening look head on with one of my own.

"Just about some stolen property sir," I said dryly.

"Is this about that Paki he shoplifted from?" It took all my self control not to smack this bastard. Instead I clenched my jaw tightly and shook my head.

A pale gangly looking kid pushed past his old man and stood, hands on his hips peering up at me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as his father retreated back into the living room chugging from his beer.

"Yea?" I raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

_Like father, like son._

"I'm here about some property you may have obtained off another student at your school?" Chad's eyes dropped to something into the porch.

I followed his gaze spotting the thing I'd almost tripped over. A dark backpack. Chad bent down to snatch it up. I beat him to it.

"Is this yours?" I asked him, opening the zipper.

"Yea…" I peered inside it, seeing the medal box at the bottom of the bag. I reached in flipping it open and checking to see if the medal was still in there. Satisfied, I pulled out an exercise book and showed it to Chad.

"Funny, I don't remember your name being Jordan Cusack." I remarked dryly, before shoving the book back and zipping the backpack up.

"He snitched on me didn't he? He ran to the pigs as soon as I snatched it," Chad sneered. My temper was flaring now.

"I'll take that as a confession, you ever seen the inside of a jail cell kid?" I snarled. Chad looked taken back by this. I hoped I was instilling the fear of God into him.

"You don't know a damn thing about Jordan's father. I swear if anything like this…" I hurled the backpack up in his face.

"Happens again, or if I even hear that your acting up again I will drag your ass downtown so fast, your teeth will crack, you got that?!" I snapped.

The look on Chad's face was enough to let me know that he was in fact almost pissing his pants. I took this as a sign to leave. I hadn't meant to lose my temper and I did not want to draw his father outside for round two.

I spun on my heel and marched back to the car, backpack under my arm like a trophy.

----------------------------------

"We can't thank you enough Carmen. Thank you so much!" Louise gushed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. We were standing in the kitchen of her home.

Upon my return to the Cusack household I had given Jordan the backpack. Blushing and eager, he'd thrown everything out of it until he came to the box with his Dad's medal in and opened it. Muttering a curt thank you, he'd run upstairs, to find a safer place for his treasured possession.

"It was no problem; I'm just glad I managed to get it back," I informed her, checking the time on my watch and cursing. It was just after eight. Thomas would already be bathed and in bed by now.

"I've got to run. I need to check up with my son," I told her. Louise gave me and understanding smile before leading me to the front door. I was surprised when she took my hands in hers and looked directly into my eyes.

"If there is anything you ever need, don't hesitate to call us, whether it's a baby sitter or just someone to talk to ok?" she said softly. The weight of her words made my chest tight.

"Thank you," I murmured, sincerely meaning it. I let out a deep sigh as she closed the door behind me. I took out my cell phone, dialling quickly as I stepped towards the car.

"Taylor, it's me. Did he move on ok?" I asked climbing into the driver's seat of the car.

"_I was just about to call you." _Taylor's voice was warm and reassuring.

"_He moved on fine. He told me to tell you thank you, and to let it go, he'd do it again if he had to." _I blinked back tears, before swallowing hard.

"Thank you." I murmured, before hanging up and wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. An immense burden that I hadn't realized had been on my shoulders felt like it had been lifted. Steeling myself to face the traffic, I turned the engine on and began the drive home.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I thought it was rare that Taylor and Carmen were seen together so I thought I'd throw them into a chapter and this is what happened. I'm glad you like his chappy, and I'm glad you posted._

_Bluehavan4220: lol well the answer to your q is in this chapter. I hope you liked it._

_Sparkycsi: lol I like seeing them doing tuff together, I think Tay had been out of the loop for a little whole in my story so I brought her back in. Thanks for doing those two chapters, had n idea for the next one._

_Axellia: lol so would I, severe cold ass syndrome. I think she needs closure too and she now she's got it. We have some fluff before we hit the main storyline. I'm off to review your chaps in a bit._

_Joanne: It was the last thing they needed, but there is no way I can do that to my chars, they need a bit of a break for now._


	37. Chapter 37: Swapping Stories

Chapter Thirty Seven

_Looking tired, feeling old  
Cursin' all the changes I've to say  
The more I cursed into the flood  
The less it seemed do me good  
_

_Clearer became my mind than I could say  
Baby__, baby, you're the world to me_

_David Grey - You're the World To Me_

I was exhausted by the time I reached the apartment. I managed to get my key in the lock, as the energy drained out of my body. It was coming up to nine, and I was feeling like I'd missed out a little on spending time with Flack and Thomas.

The apartment was quiet when I opened the door. The lights in the kitchen were on and also a lamp in the living room, giving an intimate feel to the lighting. I caught sight of Flack busing himself in the kitchen over the stove. Just from his body language I could tell he was worn out. The table was set for the both of us.

I moved quietly towards him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his back. Flack let out a deep sigh as he relaxed into me. I peered over his shoulder at the spaghetti bubbling way in the pan.

"I missed you today," I whispered into his ear. Flack turned to face me.

There were dark circles under his eyes, he looked worn down. He pulled me to him tightly; his breath tickled my neck as he held me tightly. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I hadn't seen Flack upset in a while, although he hadn't said anything I could practically feel it coursing through him.

"Are you ok?" I asked drawing back so I could look at his face. We were inches apart. My hands caressed the stubble of his cheeks, I looked at him inquisitively. It looked as if he was about to cry. There was a pang in my chest.

"What happened to you today?" I murmured. Flack turned his head away for a second.

"Please tell me," I pleaded. The pain in his eyes was hurting me. He kissed my palm gently before putting his forehead against mine and losing his eyes.

"Carmen if I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anybody else," he murmured.

"Of course," I whispered, feeling fear well up inside me.

"Gus has cancer." The words had the same effect as a gun shot. I went rigid in surprise, breaking away from Don. A stone dropped in my stomach and I choked unsure what to say. I was struggling to take it in.

I dropped into my seat, staring at nothing. Numbness filled me as Flack crouched down next to me, taking my hand.

Flack broke my stunned silence. "She has kidney cancer, it's rare in females. Remember the case we were working a few weeks ago and what Mary said about the flood water?" I nodded, still unable to believe that this was happening.

"How bad…I mean how is she doing?" I stumbled over the words. Flack bowed his head.

"I've been at the hospital with her all day; she had to have surgery so that they could judge how bad the damage is. She's holding up ok. But she can't do this on her own, she's been trying…" he trailed off, shaking her head. I clenched his hand tightly, swallowing hard before asking the question I really wanted to know.

"How bad is it?" I asked regaining some control on myself.

"It's spread to both kidneys; she needs a transplant as soon as possible. She's also one of the rarer blood types. I got the blood test today." He shook his head.

"I'm not a match," he informed me, regret in his voice. I knew this was tearing him up not being able to help someone he was so close with. Especially someone as private as Gus.

"I can't give up mine," I told him remorsefully. Flack gave my hand a sympathetic squeeze.

"When Mathew stabbed me he nicked one of mine. They wouldn't let me be a donor incase the other one doesn't hold up." I confessed, letting out a deep sigh.

"Does Mac know?" I asked quietly as Flack stood up and turned his attention to the pan that had started to boil over.

"She hasn't told anyone yet. I'm trying to get her to tell the team so that she'll get a donor faster, but she doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for her. It's a big thing to her taking a piece of somebody else. She wanted me to tell you though," Flack told me, dishing up the spaghetti bolognaise. He set the plate down in front of me and I began to pick at it with my fork.

I could feel his eyes on me as I stabbed at the spaghetti.

"Are ok? You look like you've had a rough day," Flack said, I knew he was analyzing me. I took a bite out of the pasta, and chewed.

"A day filled with ghosts and lots of running around," I stated before he forced me into telling him the whole story. He raised his eyebrows once I'd finished. I stood up helping him clear away the dishes.

"I know flashing my badge while off duty was a bad thing to do," I told him to save myself the scolding.

"Let's hope Mac doesn't hear about it," he pointed out seriously. I pulled a face.

"Did Danny have anything interesting to say when you picked up Thomas?" I asked attempting to change the subject while the sink filled with hot water.

"Guess who appeared on his doorstep?" Flack growled, wiping down the table.

"Did Cory make it back for Valentine's Day? I feel bad for giving him Thomas last night now…" The expression on Flack's face caused me to trail off.

"Lindsay," he stated.

"What?!" I exclaimed turning the hot water tap off. Flack now had my full attention.

"Lindsay came back from Chicago last night and threw a job offer at him. Said she wanted them to start a new life together over there, now that she was away from the 'drama'." Don used his fingers to do air quotes at the word drama.

"That snotty conniving…" I began.

"I don't think she knew that Danny and Cory are an item," Flack told me as I narrowed my eyes.

"What did Danny say?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. This was the last thing he needed right now. Him and Cory were on the rocks and that witch tries to barge her way back in.

"He told her to get the hell out of there; on top of that she's trying to get him to foot the bill for a $200 Prada handbag because our son tipped the remains of his dinner in to it." My jaw dropped. Flack was grinning at me, causing me to break into a gale of laughter.

"I can not believe he did that," I breathed through my laughter. Flack held his hands up, laughing with me and moving closer.

"He didn't learn that trick from me," he stated, looping an arm around my waist and pulling me to him. The kiss left me breathless, he drew back to open the freezer next to me and took out a tub of Ben and Jerry's. I took it from his hands, and grabbed a spoon before opening the lid and scraping a bit of the top. I took a step back, Flack watched me as I licked up the spoon.

"How about you, me, Ben and Jerry, take this into the bedroom?" I asked mischievously.

"I love it when you talk dirty," Flack uttered in a low voice, before practically chasing me into the bedroom.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: Thanks, it was an issue I thought would be appopriate. I don't think you can really appricate or understand a situation like that unless you've crossed the threshold into motherhood. I wanted to show how althought many things are still the same that she as a char has evolved._

_Axellia: lol that statement is true as hell! Lol I just wrote a fluffy chapter, I was surprised it came out, but I thought she deserved some love. I wanted to show how people are changed by having children and I hadn't really shown it all with Carmen before now. I thought it would be a nice close for her guilt over Eddy._

_Mauradingknight: Nice to see you out and about. I think it's because the chars are all very well formaulated that it makes it easier to play with other people's chars. In real life that's the srt of thing that happens, everyone dips in and out of every one elses lives. I'm glad you like it._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I couldn't help it, when I first wrote it she was a lot moe linient on the kid that was bullying Jordan, when I was going back over it I thought it would be better to have her threaten him to show she doesn't condone that kind of behaviour. Thanks for the review!_


	38. Chapter 38: Child's Play

**AN: **** A special thanks goes out to Sparkycsi with all her help with this chapter. Without her this story would not carry on living!**

Chapter Thirty Eight

_I need some sleep  
It can't go on like this  
I tried counting sheep  
But there's one I always miss  
Everyone says I'm getting down too low  
_

_Everyone says you just gotta let it go  
You just gotta let it go_

_The Eels – I Need Some Sleep_

Danny's eyes were stinging like crazy as he tried to open them. The knocking on his door was persistent. In a moment he was on his feet, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, and his glasses in the other. He managed to stumble to the door, and shove his glasses onto his face whilst opening it.

"Danny! It's the blessing of the bikes today!" Danny's eyes fell on the small, excited boy in front of him. He felt a small smile curve across his face.

"Ruben, it's seven-thirty." Danny stifled the yawn.

"It's the blessing of the bikes today," Ruben hesitated. "You forgot," he accused.

Danny shook his head. "Nah, I didn't forget, just let me throw on a shirt," Danny lied, as Ruben's mother Rikki stepped into the hallway.

"Hey, he's been up since five-thirty." She smiled at them both in the hallway. Danny raised his sleep ridden eyes to meet hers.

"I got in at five," he told her wryly. Rikki gave him a sympathetic look.

"Come on, Danny we're going to be late," Ruben exclaimed pulling on the hem of Danny's wife beater.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Danny groaned, retreating into his apartment to find a clean shirt.

------------------------------

"Hey, you think my mom will let me ride by myself now?" Ruben asked Danny, pedalling slowly on the child sized bicycle.

Danny, who was taking in the warm sunshine while they strolled along the route home to their apartment building, shrugged in response. "I don't see why not…" Danny smiled as Ruben began to ride a bit ahead of him. "Hey! Don't go past the corner!" he shouted after him.

Danny smiled as he felt his phone begin to ring. He picked it up and smiled. "Hey Cory."

"_Hey. How are you?" Cory asked as she sighed. _

Danny nodded as he responded. "Exhausted. Took Ruben to the blessing of the bikes this morning. We're on our way back to the building. He got me up after two hours of sleep." He looked up and saw Ruben ride around the corner instead of stopping. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll talk to you tonight," he said with a wide grin on his face. He hung up the phone and he began to jog to catch up to Ruben. "Ruben! Hey, buddy! You were supposed to stop!"

Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Ruben stopped in front of a bodega. A resounding crack rattled through the air, causing Danny's eyes to open in panic.

"Ruben, peddle as fast you can, go straight home. Take the shortcut!" Ruben nodded and took off straight down the sidewalk.

"Straight home Ruben!" Danny yelled after the ten year old boy. His gun was already in his hand, his phone pressed up against his ear, his eyes were focused on the figure rushing through the crowd and down into a subway station.

Danny rushed through the crowd in front of the bodega, shoving his way past numerous people in attempt to get to the source of the gun shot. Sirens were echoing throughout the streets letting Danny know help was on the way.

---------------------------

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, clasping Danny on the shoulder. He spun around to face me, looking tired as hell.

"Yea, I'm just wrecked at the moment, I came off shift three hours ago and now I'm back in here. Ruben had me up at half past seven for the blessing of the bikes." I pulled a face at Danny as he rubbed his eyes wearily.

"From all the statements, it appears that the shooter, had this weird blue tint around the pupil, I was thinking maybe talk to Sid, see if he can give us a hand figuring out if it's a disease or something," I told him, ambling over the coffee machine and pouring him a cup.

"Thanks," Danny said taking it from me and sipping from the mug.

"I heard Lindsey turned up. I wanted to see how you were doing," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the counter in the break room. Danny shrugged.

"It was nothing; I told her where to go," Danny said shortly, taking a huge gulp of the coffee and slamming the mug down.

"I hear Cory's coming back soon," I remarked, Danny turned away pretending to busy himself in the cupboards so I couldn't see his face.

"Yea she called me the other night. As soon as that case is wrapped up she's coming home. To be honest, I'll be glad to have her back," Danny told me with his back to me. I took his mug from the counter and washed it up in the sink. Danny came back up for air, filling his mouth with a cereal bar. He opened his mouth to say something. I held up my hand.

"Chew before you speak Messer. I don't feel like taking a granola shower today." Danny's face broke into a smile, before he swallowed.

"Let's go see Sid, the sooner we solve this case, the sooner I can get back to bed."

--------------------------------

"So, you're thinking that it could Osteogenesis Imperfecta?" I questioned Sid across the empty metal table in front of us.

"It would explain the blue tint," Sid told us both, leaning across the table.

"You'd think with that kind of condition, you'd think twice about robbing a bodega," I remarked, glancing side ways at Danny.

"Well, criminals defiantly ain't getting smarter," he returned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You know I used to date a girl who had blue all around her…" Sid began to ramble.

"Too much Doc!" I interrupted before he could continue. Sid looked at me over the tip of his glasses.

"One day, you may benefit from the wisdom of one of my stories," Sid told me seriously. I struggled to keep a straight face.

"When that day comes, I'll let you go into all the detail you want," I retorted. It took me a few seconds to realize that Sid's gaze had switched to Danny. I twisted my head towards Danny.

"Danny…" I touched his arm gently. Danny didn't respond, his face was ashen and etched in horror as a metal gurney was wheeled past. My eyes drifted to the body of the young boy lying on it. His dark hair curling across his angelic face.

For a moment there was silence.

"Ruben." The words escaped Danny's lips like a curse. And then again louder this time he said the name as if it was all finally clicking together that this kid was in the morgue. Danny took a step towards the gurney.

"Carmen, get him out of here!" Sid's shout caused me to spring into action. I grabbed Danny's arm shoving him in the direction of the corridor.

"Danny, we can't be here," I said softly, trying to get him to move. He barely struggled against me. He was staring over my head, shocked at Ruben's body. The doors shut as I pushed him into the corridor. His eyes were on me, filled with disbelief. His breaths were becoming short and laboured. He was beginning to hyperventilate.

I guided him quickly to the seats close to us; he complied by dropping into them. I slipped in next to him. My arm was around his shoulders.

"Put your head between your knees and take long deep breaths," I instructed. Danny's head was in his hands as he did what he was told. It took him a few minutes to master control over himself again. I waited for him to talk first.

"I don't understand. He should have just gone straight home. I _told_ him to go straight home. I should have made sure. I should have made sure," Danny murmured his head still in his hands. I closed my eyes and shook my head, wondering what on earth you could say in a situation like this.

"There was nothing you could have done. Your instincts were in the right place, its dumb luck that Ruben got caught in the cross fire. It's not your fault," I told him bluntly. Danny raised his head and met my gaze. His eyes were red rimmed; tears were still trickling down his cheeks making them glisten.

"Would you think that if that was your kid lying on the slab?" he whispered. My chest clenched at his words, I turned my own head away, trying not to imagine if it had been Thomas. I took a deep breath, shaking the image from my mind before returning my attention to Danny.

"I'd understand that you'd tried your best." I told him honestly, reaching out and clasping his hand. I couldn't imagine what he must be going through right now. Danny sniffed and nodded at my words before rising to his feet.

"I'll need to talk to Mac, tell him I can't work this case."

"He'll probably send you home," I reminded Danny, climbing to my own feet.

"I know," he whispered. Letting out a deep sigh, I followed him towards the elevator, praying that Danny's life could not get worse.

------------------------------

A couple of hours later, I was shaking my head in sadness and Lucy confessed to shooting after Ollie Burns. I watched as her face clouded with disbelief and shock as she realized the cost of her actions.

Stifling the urge to growl under my breath, I stalked out of the room, my thoughts centred on Danny and how I wished that Cory was there to help him through it.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM HEROES!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol you'll catch up in your world. I just have a lot more time on my hands at the min. I'm saying this while eyeing the mounting pile of uni reading I should be doing. Alongside it is my new Green Arrow Comic which also looks more fun than the uni reading. Lol so for now I'm a lean, mean updating machine!_

_Forest Angel: lol well I wanted to show Thomas doing something to Linds as Carmen or Flack wasn't there to give her hell so that's what I settled for. I thought it was time for a bit of fess up to be honest. Carmen had to know about Gus and Flack about the ghost. Thanks for the review!_

_Bad2Wolf2Mcgee: It's not a problem I know how it can be around that time so it's no problem for you to take a time out on the story. Good luck on them by the way. You already have a few hints so let me just leave you with the fact there's a huge shift in the plot in a few chapters._

_Mauradingknight: LMAO I glad I made you laugh! But sorry if I got you into trouble. I think Thomas has Flack's mischievous side. Lol I'll be honest I don't really know too much about kids at all, all the research I've done for Thomas was off the internet or through Sparkycsi. I only know two people with babies and I don't see them very often, and their babies are younger than Thomas. Lo you'll have to see if there is a match and who it is!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I love the idea of flack the romantic, he's such a sweetheart! I'd love a real Flack! Thanks for the review!_

_Sparkycsi: lol you can have him so long as you haven't got Flack involved in that too! I had great fun writing that chapter or at least the end bit. Thanks for sending that stuff back you're an angel!_


	39. Chapter 39: Make Up

**AN: ****We had a bit of co-writing going on here. This chapter was written by Sparkycsi, who knows Cory and Danny a hell of a lot better than I do!**

Chapter Thirty Nine

_When you cried_

_I'd wash away all of your tears,_

_You screamed_

_I'd fight away all of your fears,_

_I've held your hand _

_Through all of these years,_

_You still have…all of me._

_Evanescence – My Immortal_

Cory shivered as she walked from the subway to Danny's apartment building. The icy wind was creeping underneath her scarf. Finally, she was stomping her feet, waiting of the elevator to come down. Shaking her head, she almost turned around to leave, not wanting to be part of the inevitable confrontation.

She had just turned to leave, when the elevator opened. Taking it as a sign that she needed to go up there, she walked into it and waiting impatiently for it to rise to Danny's floor. When she finally exited the confining box, she walked down the quiet hall to Danny's door.

She stood in front on his door, hand raised to knock for a minute before she knocked quietly. When there was no response, she knocked a little harder. Finally she heard the door open just as she had turned her back, thinking that Danny wasn't home. "Finally, Messer! Do you know that's it's colder in Texas…" she trailed off when she caught a look at Danny's face.

His eyes were red rimmed and he had a haunted look on his face. "Danny?" Cory said softly, her heart breaking. "What's wrong?" He didn't answer her, so she pushed him back into the apartment, surveying the room with her eyes. Nothing seemed out of place and if something had happened to one of the team, someone would have called her.

Danny walked to the couch and sat down on it, putting his head in his hands. "Ruben," he said in a whisper.

Cory sat next to him, drawing one of his hands between her own. "What happened, Danny? Please. Talk to me." With her left hand, she raised his face until their eyes met.

He met her eyes before he broke down, his body shaking. Cory held him as he told her the story. When he was done, he stared down at her, dry eyed and too ashamed at himself to look at her.

Cory could tell what he was feeling and knew that she couldn't let him pull away. "Hey," she said softly as she moved off the couch and onto the floor in front of him. She stared into his eyes. "Hey. It's not your fault, Danny."

"Yes, it is. I shouldn't have left him. I wasn't on call. I should have just taken him home. If I had been with him, he might have lived," he said morosely.

Cory shook her head. "Danny? You reacted. Ruben looked okay; you didn't know that he'd been shot. If you had known that, things would have played out differently," she tried to console him.

Danny shook his head, not wanting to let go of the guilt. He stared into her eyes, seeing that she believed he made the right choice, but also seeing a wariness that hadn't been there before. He shook his head again, the memory of Carmen being kidnapped flinging itself at him. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"About what?" Cory asked in confusion. "If you're sorry for following your gut, never apologise for that. You made a split second decision in the midst of gunfire. It wasn't your fault."

Danny sighed. "Not about that. About what I said…" he hesitated, "when Carmen was kidnapped."

Cory stood up and walked around the coffee table, towards the pool table. She paused as she ran her softly along the felt. Finally, she turned. "Why, Danny? Why didn't you trust me? Why did you just…attack me?"

Danny stood up and walked over to her, picking her left hand up. "I wasn't thinking. I…I was reacting. I was worried about Carmen and I lost it."

Cory stared down at their entwined hands. "I get that you were upset, Dan. But you didn't even listen to me." She pulled away from him and began to pace. "That's what hurt the most. You didn't even listen to me. Then you said that I was just like everyone else."

Danny sighed and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "I don't know, Cory. I didn't mean it. You're nothing like the normal Feds." He looked at her. "So, where are we?"

Cory smiled. "It was a fight, Messer. Not like we're not going to have those, but…" she trailed off and she looked down at the floor.

Danny walked over to her and lifted her chin. "But, what _bella_?"

Cory bit her lip. "We can't just pick up where we left off, Danny. We both have of some issues that we have to work out. Trust issues, Danny."

"I trust you, Cory. Do you trust me?" he asked seriously.

"With my life," she responded instantly. "But I don't forget easily, Danny. I've gotten over my anger, but I can't forget what you said." She sighed. "But I promise you that I'm not going let that destroy us. It'll just take time."

Danny nodded. "Okay. I'll give you that time, _bella._ You're worth it," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her comforting scent.

Cory sighed softly, feeling at peace for the first time since that fateful night.

---------------------------------

It was late afternoon by the time I got into the apartment. I already had my phone in my hand and was calling Cory to give her a heads up on the Danny situation. After that I decided I'd call in at Danny's apartment. I knew that it was impossible for him not to feel responsible for Ruben's death. Without Cory there to help him, I feared that he'd let himself slip into depression.

I shook my head trying to shake off the look on his face. It had been damning.

I dialled Cory's number; she picked up on the third ring. Her voice was hushed; I heard the sound of a door closing.

"Hey, it's me Carmen," I said quietly, slipping onto the sofa hoping not to wake Flack. He'd been on nights recently; as a result his sleeping pattern was pretty fragmented.

"_Hey, how are you doing?"_ Cory sounded weary. I promised myself this would be a short phone call.

"Actually Cory, I have to tell you something. Something happened to Danny today…" I uttered, pausing trying to figure out how to get the words out. "I think he really needs you."

"_Carmen? I'm already here," _Cory told me. I looked around my apartment frowning before realizing what she meant.

"_I'm at Danny's. He told me about what happened with Ruben,"_ she confirmed. I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"I am so glad…Did you manage to work things out?" I asked curious.

"_We're going to be ok,"_ Cory promised.

"I'd better let you go; you two must have a lot to catch up on," I said, feeling a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders.

"_Thanks for the heads up. I'll call you when I get back to my apartment," _Cory promised, I could hear the tiredness in her voice.

"There's no rush, call me tomorrow and we can go for drinks with the rest of the guys," I compromised.

"_I'd like that…I'll talk to you soon."_ With that we both hung up.

Knowing that Danny was in safe hands made me feel a hell of a lot better. Checking the time I scooped up my car keys again and set off to pick my son up from his Grandparents place.

_**CHECK OUT SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I am not really that good with exams either. I'm better with coursework. I used to write in lectures all the time, now it's my last year so I have to focus! I started writing the other morning and then had to rush off to lecture and when I was in it, I was thinking abut the next few chapters of the story and I had to make myself focus on the lesson! I think that's one of the joys and banes of being a writer. Lol well those chapters are coming up in the next few chapters so I hope you enjoy them!_

_Sparkycsi: lol you have yourself a deal over Flack and Danny! Thanks for getting all my bits and pieces back to me on time! C has a job interview today, so fingers crossed for her! Thanks for helping out with the chapters; I can't seem to put my finger on Armando at all!_

_Maddy Bellows: I had a lot of help from Sparkycsi, there's certain attributes with certain chars I can't get right. Gus seems to be the only one I can work with easily out of the other OC chars. I'm glad you like it. Thank for the review!_


	40. Chapter 40: What The Juicer Did Next

Chapter Forty

_Some say I'm paranormal  
So I just bend their spoon  
Who wants to be ordinary  
In a crazy, mixed-up world  
I don't care what they're sayin'  
As long as I'm your girl_

_You get me  
When nobody understands  
You come and take the chance, baby  
You get me_

_  
You look inside my wild mind  
Never knowing what you'll find  
And still you want me all the time  
Yeah, you do  
Yeah, you get me_

_Michelle Branch – You Get Me_

The phone was ringing insistently as Taylor popped another orange into the new juicer. She scooped the handset up settling it between her shoulder and chin.

"Hey," she said pushing another orange into the juicer.

"_Hey, it's Carmen," _the voice on the other end of the phone told her.

"Hey. I'm just about to try out the new juicer," Taylor told her triumphantly jamming the last orange into the machine, so it was packed full.

"_Cool. Cory's made it back, she's with Danny at the minute but I was wondering if you and Matt are free on Thursday night so we can all hit Ray's." _

Taylor was washing her hands in the sink. She raised her head and glanced at the calendar Matt left on the notice board so she could check out his schedule whenever she needed.

"We're pretty much free on Thursday," Taylor told Carmen. "So we're in."

There was a strange shrieking sound in the background, followed by deep throated laughter. Taylor frowned, drying her hands.

"Where are you?"

"_At Flack's parents. Thomas put that…!" _There was a resounding crash down the phone.

"_Crap, he's just smashed the vase Maria got Don's parents, I've gotta run Tay,"_ Carmen muttered. Thomas was still wailing when Carmen hung up.

Taylor wasn't thinking when she flicked the button for the juicer. She stared in a sort of fascinated horror when juice exploded in a dramatic shower across the kitchen.

Orange pulp splashed across the floor, the ceiling, the walls. Taylor managed to flick the juicer off before surveying the orange stains on her clothes. Without even having to check she knew it was in her hair.

It was that very moment that the front door opened and Matt chose to return home from work. He stood in the door way, his jaw dropping as he stared at Taylor who was still stunned by the fact that the kitchen was a new shade of orange and hadn't moved from the spot.

For a moment they stared at each other, Taylor's expression horrified. A smile tugged at Matt's lips before it broke out across his face.

"Forget to put the lid on?" he asked biting his lip to stop himself from laughing and stepping into the kitchen.

"Shit…" Matt yelped as his foot came down on a puddle of orange juice and pulp. His shoe slipped and he found himself staring at the mess on the ceiling from the position on his back on the floor.

Taylor was by his side in a second, kneeling beside him.

"Are you ok?" she asked checking him over to make sure he hadn't hit his head or anything. Matt let out a contented sigh as she leaned close to him, checking for wounds. Her face was inches from his as she drew back a little.

Matt loved the way her dark hair fell over her face as she studied his eyes for a second before brushing his lips gently with hers. He relished in that kiss. Every single kiss with her was like something he had never felt before. It didn't matter that she's just covered the kitchen with oranges or that she was hellishly disorganised, he loved everything about her. Even the ghosts.

Matt reached out his hand stroking her soft skin gently as he guided her closer, their lips practically touching again. He looked directly into her beautiful eyes before whispering.

"Marry me."

Taylor's eyes widened for a brief second, before she sank into another kiss that made her insides blaze and her heart feel as if it was going to burst with happiness. She drew away as Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Was that a yes?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes!" Taylor beamed. Matt reached up and wrapped his arms around her pulling her into another heart stopping kiss.

---------------------------------

"You do know that we're going to have to go ring shopping at some point don't you?" Taylor remarked as they stood side by side, surveying the state of the kitchen.

Matt's arms were over his chest as he shook his head at the blobs dotting the ceiling.

"I've been wanting to take you ring shopping for a while now," he confessed, giving her a sidelong glance.

Taylor turned her head, meeting his gaze and wrapping her arms around his neck. Matt groaned as she pressed up against his body, tantalising him.

"I think I need help showering," she told him with a mischievous glint in her eye. Matt didn't need telling twice. He was already leading her to the bathroom, helping her shed their clothes along the way.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: Thank you very much. Me and Sparkycsi take turns in writing with her in this story. I sort of write her on a base level but when it comes to some thing deeper, that I can't get a feel for with the char. She writes it. The last chapter was one she had written because I couldn't figure out what kind of convo Danny and Cory would have. Lol if I'd written it would have turned out like Flack and Carmen and I wanted to make sure we kept Cory as Cory._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I think Sparky has a thing for realism and she knows the type of person Cory is, esp when it comes to something of this calibre. Thanks for the review._

_Axellia: SO many reviews! You have a CSI: NY shirt! I am so jealous. Lol the rabbits are so damn cute. Lol You should see the way he looks after her later on, it makes me sigh lol. I was watching eps of CSI last night from the earlier seasons and I'd forgotten how good they were. I know about continuity, I was like what happened to Louie after that whole thing! Lol I'm glad it makes you smile, yours always makes me laugh. As you know it's the deeper bits of Cory's char I can't seem to get. About the other story. I was clearing out my writing box looking for something and I found some paper, with that story on it. I'd written it ages ago, but couldn't incorporate it into whatever I was writing at the time. So last night I typed it up along with the little piece on Mac and the Twin Towers and out them up as one shots!_

_Sparkycsi: You'll have to ask her about where it's for I'm not sure myself. Something about the Butler group I think. I'm about to read your something random. It's because I wanted it so no one knew that she was back yet, so her and Danny could get some private time and the Ruben thing to be a surprise. Thanks for the review!_


	41. Chapter 41: What Dreams My Come

Chapter Forty One

_I got this feeling that they're gonna break down the door  
I got this feeling they they're gonna come back for more  
See I was thinking that I lost my mind  
But it's been getting to me all this time  
And it don't stop dragging me down_

_The Killers – Tranquilize_

Cory was sitting into the ballroom crowded with smiling, happy people. Beside her Danny, had his arm wrapped around the back of her seat. He looked glorious in his crisp tuxedo. His breath in her ear made her shivered as he whispered something that made her laugh. Cory's eyes searched the table she was sitting at; she was surprised to see all of her friends in seats around it. The only seat that was empty was the one next to Carmen. Flack's seat.

There was a loud throat clearing, the whole ball room turned to face the podium set upon the stage. Cory gave a small smile as she saw Flack slip into his seat beside Carmen.

The man on the stage was one she recognized. Flack looked a lot like his father. Donald Flack, Senior's dark hair was peppered with gray, his large frame and deep voice commanded the attention of the room as he cleared his throat.

"It is an honour to be standing here amongst all the current rising stars of the NYPD. The job, as we all know, is one of the most challenging careers anyone could choose, and I am proud to be surrounded by the newer generation of law enforcement and some of the old too." A smattering of applause echoed through the room, before dying down again.

"I never expected to be handing out any awards tonight, but you all know how persuasive Chief Sinclair can be." There were a few chuckles echoing around the room at this.

"This award is especially close to my heart." He held up a medal to show the room before continuing.

"The Medal of Honour is of the highest distinction in the NYPD. It stands for extraordinary bravery in the face extreme risk and danger to an individual's life in the line of duty. It is with immense pride that Chief Sinclair has informed me that this medal is to be awarded to my son Detective Don Flack, Junior. Come up here son."

Cory turned to see Flack's face. She wished she could have a snapshot of that moment. Flack's jaw had dropped as the uproar of applause echoed through the room and he turned to Carmen who was prodding him to get up and accept the award. It was clear that she had known about this already. Flack climbed to his feet and walked head high to the stage. Cory couldn't keep the smile off her face as he approached his father, both sporting the same grin.

The two men shook hands before his father leaned in saying something to Flack and pointing at the podium. An even wider grin crossed Flack's face as Stella, Gus and Taylor hollered for a speech to be made. Carmen was resting her chin on her hand, watching Flack happily.

"Firstly I'd like to say thank you, to everyone that helped me get to the point I'm at today. I never ever expected to get an award for doing the job that we all do every single day of our lives. This was a complete surprise for me, although I can see not to my wife over there," he said gesturing to Carmen, who tried to put on an innocent expression.

"She is a woman whose amazing strength holds no bounds. She has stepped up to the face of danger time and time again, at risk of her own life. This year she has preformed outstanding acts of courage and personal bravery in the line of duty and disregarded her own personal well being for the sake of another officer and the general public. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the woman tonight accepting the Medal for Valour, Detective Carmen Devine."

The applause was thunderous as the whole room applauded Carmen who was gob smacked at the turn of events. Her hand was clapped to her mouth as she turned her head to Mac who held up his hands and pointed to Cory. Cory laughed at Carmen's shocked expression as Stella ushered her up towards the stage.

Cory watched as Flack handed Carmen the medal. She stood there stunned still, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to the microphone.

"I've never seen her so quiet," he remarked to the audience who chuckled. Carmen elbowed him in the ribs before stepping up to the microphone herself.

"It is an honour to be accepting this award tonight. You have no idea how much this means to me. I want to thank all of the team in the NYPD Crime Lab for their diligent and tireless work. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Have a great night!" Carmen ended.

There was another huge round of applause as the couple descended the stage and worked their way back to the table. As they walked behind Cory, the air shifted and Cory smelled something unusual. She sniffed again, but didn't smell anything other than champagne, so she dismissed it.

"You are so dead, Corinne Reid." Carmen breathed with a pout as she wound past Cory.

Cory stuck her tongue out at Carmen as she slipped into her seat. "You deserved it and you know it," Cory shot back with a satisfied grin.

---------------------------

The whole group was standing up around the table, each glass kinking as Mac dedicated a toast to the future.

A chill ran up Cory's spine. Seconds later there was a tremendous roar.

The whole building began to quiver and shake as the ceiling began to collapse, fire exploded at the edge of the room. Cory turned to shield herself from the inevitable force of the blast.

But nothing touched her skin. Cory stood up straight; she could see herself on the floor, covering Taylor's body with her own. Yet she knew that she was standing up. For a moment she had a horrible feeling that she was dead. Someone took her hand, she turned surprised to see a man she recognized standing next to her.

"Armando? Oh my God, am I dead?" Cory exclaimed, her hands moving over her face. Armando shook his head at her. "But…You died! Four years ago. I saw your body, after Ortiz killed you. I see myself lying there, on top of Taylor, yet am standing here, talking to you? I must be dead," she persisted, half hysterical.

"You're dreaming this. Remember, after Ortiz found you. Maddy had a message for you from the Powers?" At her affirmative nod, he continued, "There's a reason why you can see some spirits. I've been sent to guide you," he explained.

Cory shook her head. "So you're my Maddy?"

Armando laughed. "You could say that."

Cory furrowed her brow. "So, what is this?"

"This is a dream, a vision. It's something you have to see," he told her. Cory studied him for a moment confused.

"I don't understand," she remarked as she watched herself clambering to her feet, and helping Taylor up.

"This is the future as it stands right now. You're seeing the most likely possibility of what is to come and this event has consequences; not just for you but for everyone single one of your friends."

Cory shook her head still struggling to figure out what was happening. "I don't understand."

Armando shook his head. "I can't tell you anymore," he told her mournfully. He took hold of her hand. "I have to show you it all."

------------------------

Cory opened her eyes puzzled to see that somehow they were now outside the building. She stared up at the furious flames that licked higher up the building.

Horrified, she began searching for her friends amongst the crowd of people stumbling from the building. She caught sight of Carmen and Flack helping whom she recognized as Flack's mother from the reception area.

"Carmen, get my mother to the ambulance, I'm going to help Stella with the survivors." Carmen raised her eyes to Flack, whilst holding up the weight of Flack's mother who seemed to be in severe pain.

"Be careful," she warned glancing back at the burning building. Flack moved towards Carmen kissing her smoke blackened forehead.

"I'll be in and out before you know it," he told her softly with a boyish smile, before kissing her lips and rushing back into the building. Carmen guided Mrs Flack towards Hawkes who was seeing to an unconscious Gus. Mac was already rolling up his sleeves preparing to charge back into the building.

Cory watched herself trying to stifle bleeding that was coming from a gash on the back of Taylor's head. Danny and Matt were nowhere to be seen.

Mac and Carmen were rushing back to the building now. Carmen managing to run in the high heels she was wearing. Suddenly, there was a horrendous noise as the building exploded for a second time, causing part of it to crumble inwards.

The force of the explosion knocked Carmen and Mac flying backwards through the air. Cory saw herself and Taylor clambering towards the injured pair as they clambered to their feet. Carmen was already running back towards the building, screaming Flack's name at the top of her voice.

It was Adam that grabbed her around the waist, hurling her backwards as another smaller explosion rocked the building.

"Let me go!" she was yelled, struggling furiously against Adam was he tightened her grip around his wrist.

"The building's collapsing, Carmen. You can't go back in there!" Adam yelled against the wail of sirens and the screams from around them.

"But Flack is in there! We need to help them!" The others were watching the building in stunned horror as the front wall crumbled into itself, leaving them to wonder who could possibly have survived it.

Cory was standing to the side with Armando apart from the whole thing. Tears were running down her face as she turned to Armando, his mouth was set in a grim line.

"It's time for you to go back," he said softly.

------------------------

Two minutes later Cory woke up screaming, her body was upright, the sheets twisted around her. She wrenched herself out of them, breathing deeply in order to calm herself; she glanced at the time before raking her hands through her hair. Three forty-six, a.m.

She kept breathing deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. The dream had seemed so vivid, the memories were whirling around her mind as the phone began to ring. Perplexed Cory snatched it up.

"Reid."

"_Cory its Danny. Are you alright bella?"_ Cory was speechless.

"_Bella?"_

"Sorry, Danny. I'm here. Why are you calling me at nearly four in the morning?" she asked curiously.

"_I just woke up and I just felt I had to, bella. I'm not sure why. Are you ok?" _he asked her again.

Cory leant back against her pillows and breathed in deeply. "It was just a bad dream Danny, go back to sleep and I'll call you tomorrow."

"_You sure?" _he asked uncertain.

"Definitely. Sweet dreams, Danny."

"_You too, bella,"_ Danny returned before they both hung up.

Cory snuggled back into bed staring at the light playing off the ceiling. _It had been just a dream, hadn't it?_

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM HEROES!!!!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol The title just sprang to mind, at that moment when I was thinking of a chapter title. Lol I figured out they'd be dating enough time for that to be the next logical step and they're a cute couple._

_Sparkycsi: lol did you ask her? Thankies, I'm always a little unsure about writing Cory! Lol they are well the sweetest couple I have ever written. I love Matt and I couldn't believe the little piece of history that came about in 51!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol that's a very inspiring thing for a writer to hear, if you don't watch out my head won't be able to fit through a door. I love the whole thing with the juicer, its realy sweet, you find out a little about Matt's past later on. I surprised my self with it._


	42. Chapter 42: Partners For Life

Chapter Forty Two

_I know it would be outrageous _

_To come on all courageous._

_Meet me on the other side_

_I'll see you on the other side._

_David Grey- The Otherside._

The fireworks factory was based in Chinatown and Flack's lead on the Laughing Larry case had led him, Gus, Stella and Hawkes up here. The sign was big and bold attached to the wall of the building, reminding them that they were in the right place.

They entered through an unlocked door at the back of the building. Their NYPD jackets rustling as they wound their way through the cases of fireworks, stacked high on top of each other.

"Aren't fireworks illegal in New York?" Hawkes asked thoughtfully as he studied the crates as they passed.

"Yep, so is murder," Flack replied, his hand going to his holster. Gus rolled her eyes at his comment before her hand strayed to her own weapon.

Ahead of them a group of Asian men were rounding the corner deep in conversation.

"Hey folks! NYPD, time to close up shop!" Flack hollered flashing his NYPD badge. For a second the men looked uncomfortable. A voice above them shouted something in Chinese. The two men in front of them took off in a run. Stella and Hawkes took off after them as Flack turned his gun on the man on the walk way above.

"Hold it there, hold it right there!" Flack yelled out as the man dangled a burning fire work over an open crate.

"I'd rather let it go!" he yelled back before dropping the firework. Gus pushed Flack forward towards the stairs.

"Go, go, go!" she yelled trying to shield herself as they ran past the fireworks that were flitting throughout the room. They raced up the stairs after the suspect; Gus's eyes were on him as he climbed the ladder leading to the roof.

"Stella, Hawkes, get out!" Flack yelled across the factory, as he caught a glimpse of Stella cuffing one of the suspects, and Hawkes dong the same with another. Gus was already on the ladder, Flack following close behind.

The fireworks by now were raging as Stella and Hawkes ran with their suspects back towards the back exit, ducking any of the explosives that **came** their way. A small explosion erupted behind them. Gus felt the ladder shake as she climbed onto the roof. She turned around to see it breaking from the buckles in the wall.

She grabbed onto Flack's hand, helping to tug him through the skylight before the ladder gave way. He scrambled up and onto the roof just as the ladder crashed beneath them.

"Close call," he muttered, back on his feet and searching for the suspect. They heard the clatter of feet on metal. Flack peered over the edge of the building to see the suspect darting down some scaffolding. On the way down the perp had dislodged one of the meal bars so that they were unable to follow. Fireworks were erupting though the skylight now, darting and whistling past the two Detectives.

There was no way to go back the way they came, and their priority had now become making sure they got away from the factory with their lives. Gus looked down over the building, feeling adrenaline coursing through her. She pointed at the huge dumpster to the right of them.

"It looks like it's full of cardboard!" she yelled to Flack. He stared at her incredulously.

"You want us to jump?" he shouted. Gus nodded.

"It's the way off!" Behind them anther explosion rattled the building. Gus tilted her head at Flack waiting with very little patience.

"I'm game," he told her climbing onto the ledge. Gus followed suit, staring down at the boxes, wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

"If this goes horribly wrong, it was great working with you Flack," Gus told him, staring at the ground. The wind was whipping the hair around her face. A firework missed Flack's head by inches.

"You, too. You're the best partner I've had Broussard," Flack returned also staring down at their target.

"On three," said Gus, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"One, two, THREE!" They jumped together; hurtling through the air likes stones. Every second of that jump felt like a whole minute of Gus's life time was passing and then, smack, she felt herself hit something hard. It winded her momentarily. It took a few minutes for her to check she was all in one piece.

By that time Flack was already climbing onto the ledge of the dumpster, which was still a good way from the ground. From the look of determination set on his face, she already knew what he was about to do. Gus clambered up onto the ledge, just in time to see Flack literally leap at the running suspect.

Their body's impacted. The force of Flack's body forced them both to hit the ground, with Flack on top. Flack grabbed the suspect in an arm lock, as he yanked him back to his feet.

"Stop, drop and roll, you son of a bitch!" he growled, as Gus came running up behind him, holding out her handcuffs to Flack. Flack took them gratefully, before cuffing the guy he was holding. Gus clapped a hand on the back of Flack's jacket.

"We need to get you some new lines Blue Eyes," she told him, breathless. Flack's gaze was on her in a second.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly, shoving the perp towards the police car.

"The jump just winded me," she told him, trying to get her breath back.

"You need to tell them," he muttered. Before Gus had a chance to open her mouth, Stella and Hawkes were rushing towards them.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: Thank you. I haven't had a chance to get a new chapter out yet. I have to tell you I had a quick read over the new version of Poison Pen and loved it! I can't wait to hear more about it. I spoke to her the other ay and she said she had that feeling and a letter came through. Thanks for the review. I want to develop matt more as a char I think._

_Marauding Knight: lol I'm going to be running three storylines here at the same time so fingers crossed with this. It's important for me to get the time line just right. Thankies for the review. Lol they'll be a lot more intrigue due to Cory's vision and the others that she has. You'll see._

_JoanneF: lol Everyone's come home to roost for the main storylines that are popping up soon. I love the Matt/Tay pairing. It's something that just happened when I was writing one day. Thanks for your review._

_Maddy Bellows: lol good to see the chapter did its job, I loved writing it. All three of my plots are thickening!_


	43. Chapter 43: Serious Bad Day Syndrome

Chapter Forty Three

_Lookin for a scapegoat, _

_Long past due  
Walking down the aisle, _

_Staring straight at you_

_Nickleback – Where Do I Hide?_

Today was the beginning of a bad day; I could feel it in my bones. First thing this morning when I split a whole cup of coffee down my brand new white shirt I could tell that that was the way the whole day was going to go.

It was my first day off in God knows how long and I had a list of chores the size of my arm to get through. On top of this, I hadn't see Flack in about four days due to the fact my shift started as his ended and vice versa. I hated it when he worked nights.

After changing my shirt, I opened the fridge to discover it was practically empty. I closed the door to discover Flack's shopping list attached to it. I snatched it off the fridge and turned to face Thomas who was now tipping his bowl of cereal onto the floor.

"Thomas, stop that," I said, trying to assert some authority into my voice. Thomas started slamming his spoon on the table instead. I let out a deep breath before taking it from him.

"You'll wake Daddy if you do that. Let's get you cleaned up," I told him, before lifting him out of the high chair and putting him on the floor. I grabbed for the nearest cloth to wipe up the mess on the floor before the banging on our bedroom door roused me from my job.

I looked up to see Thomas raising his fist to bang on the door again.

"Da da!" he yelled through it. In two seconds I was back on my feet, and picking up Thomas who was beginning to wail.

"You can so tell you're reaching the terrible twos," I muttered as I ignored his crying and carried him into his bedroom to get him dressed for our morning excursion.

---------------------

It took me almost thirty minutes, between Thomas's wriggling and howling to get him changed into a pair of pants and a t-shirt that matched.

It took a further fifteen to actually buckle him into the car seat. I slipped into the driver's seat feeling exhausted. I checked the dash board clock; it was only ten past ten am. Shaking my head, I turned the radio on and started the engine.

I couldn't bring myself to listen to another one of Thomas's nursery rhyme cds, so I decided to compromise by putting the CD for Shrek Two into the slot. Within seconds Thomas was pacified and singing along the best he could to 'Accidentally In Love'. Breathing a sigh of relief at this, I started our excursion to the grocery store.

---------------------------------

I pulled up to the traffic lights as they flashed red, and tapped my fingers gently on the steering wheel to the new song that was on. Sneaking a look at Thomas, who was now waving his fists as if air drumming. I grinned to myself before turning to face the lights again.

Crash!

I was thrown forward towards the steering wheel. The only thing stopping me from smashing my face on it was the fact I was wearing a seat belt. I turned to assess Thomas who was now screeching due to the shock of the impact.

"Son of a…!" I trailed off glancing at Thomas who had now quietened and was staring at me, with a chubby hand to his mouth.

"Beep…Thomas…Mommy said son of a beep," I groaned, undoing my seatbelt to give the idiot who'd rammed the back of my car hell. I opened the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk.

Thankfully, there was no other traffic upon the street; otherwise we may have been in for some real trouble causing a jam.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" I yelled as I caught sight of the back of my car. It was completely mangled by the force the other car had hit it with.

"I have my son in that car…" I was rendered speechless as the sandy haired ex-vice Detective stumbled out from his vehicle.

"You are shitting me…" I cursed under my breath as Daniel O'Brian straightened up. He gave me the same once over he had six years ago when we first met in his office.

Daniel O'Brian had been a Vice Cop for the NYPD, one that had a grudge against Flack. O'Brian hadn't been able to let go of the fact that Flack had been promoted ahead of him. After being forced to work with him, O'Brian had turned his attentions on me, intentionally muscling in on my case and in the end his career was cut short after I launched a sexual harassment complaint against him.

"Devine. Looking as fine as usual, you still with Little Boy Blue?" he leered at me. I leant back; the stench of alcohol was coming off him in waves, and I suddenly knew the reason why he'd crashed into my car.

"How much have you had to drink O'Brian?" I asked cautiously, thankfully I'd taken my bag out of the car before stepping out of it.

"What's it to you? It's your fault I'm in this mess Devine," he sneered, taking a threatening step towards me. I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"It's your fault you couldn't keep your hands to yourself, O'Brian. I wasn't the only female officer to make a complaint," I retorted. O' Brian was swaying now as he reached for the door handle of his car door.

"You are not getting back in that car! You can barely see straight. If you managed to hit me in a SUV, I doubt that you'd be able to see if a kid walked into the road," I warned him. O'Brian's face turned read with fury as his walked right up to me, his face leaning close to mine. I planted my feet firmly on the ground and squared up to him.

"And whose gonna stop me? You?" he sneered. I met his gaze head on. O'Brian had picked the wrong day to mess with me.

"Yea," I replied, slipping my handcuffs out of my bag.

"I miss being able to tease you, Devine," he said, his hands were on my hips, I fought against the fear climbing in the pit of my stomach. Fury reared up inside me, at the memories of O'Brian tormenting me.

"You always were a stuck up…" I grabbed his wrist and twisted his body away from me. Unfortunately his foot hit a lose paving stone; he hurtled forward, smashing his nose on the window of my car.

The abrupt noise and sudden movement had caused Thomas to start screaming in the car. O'Brian was kneeling on the sidewalk and clutching his bleeding nose.

"Get up," I demanded coldly, dragging O'Brian to his feet and pushing him over the hood of my car.

Thomas was still screaming as I clipped my cuffs around O'Brian's wrists.

"It's ok Thomas, mommy's right here. She just has to arrest the bad man first," I told my son, through the windshield before yanking a dazed O'Brian up and guiding him to the back door of my car. I forced him into the back seat, and started to undo the buckles of Thomas's car seat, whilst dialling the station.

"Hey, this is Detective Devine; I need a squad car over on 47th. Got a drunk driver who rammed right into the back of my car. Thanks." I hung up and finally released Thomas. He reached out for me. I took him in my arms and pulled him out of the car. I cradled him gently, trying to sooth the frightened child.

"You have a son?" O'Brian asked in disbelief. I gave him a hard glare.

"We are not talking about this," I told him before slamming the back door in his face.

------------------------------

One thing kept repeating in my mind as I tread through the corridors of the station carrying an overly curious Thomas in my arms.

I was here on my day off and that was adding to the mounting anger that was coursing through me. I was standing at reception waiting for the two bimbos in front of me to end their conversation.

"I wouldn't mind having him in bed to warm me up on a cold night…" the brunette told the blond.

"Did you hear about him last night? Him and Broussard jumped off the roof of a fireworks factory into a dumpster, then straight away Flack's back on his feet and launching himself at the suspect. He's like something out of a movie," the blond recounted, breathing a contented sigh.

I felt my jaw clench so hard it hurt my teeth. I set Thomas down on the counter; he kicked his small shoes against the marble drawing the receptionist's attention to us.

"How can I help…" the smile on her face froze when she saw who it was standing on the other side of the counter.

"Now, if you're done gossiping about _my_ husband, who by the way prefers red heads, I need to use your phone. Now," I snapped at them. The blond handed the phone to me wordlessly. I dialled Flack's cell phone, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear the house phone.

It went straight to voicemail. I let out a weary sigh. Flack was off today hence why his phone was also off.

"Flack, this is Carmen. My battery's dead. I need you to come pick up Thomas from the station, we've had an accident but don't worry we're both fine. I'm going to be tied up giving a statement and well we kind of need to talk," I spoke quietly, eyeing the receptionists with a glare as they leaned in trying to hear what I was saying.

I slammed the phone down and pushed it back towards them. Hearing my name being called, I picked up Thomas who was now yawning and turned to face the culprit.

"Hey, I thought today was your day off," Matt said strolling up to me grinning.

"It was…"

"Matt, Matt!" Thomas exclaimed reaching out for Matt. Matt grinned taking him from me.

"How are you doing little buddy? Are you ok Carmen?" Matt asked getting a closer look at my face. I let out a deep breath.

"I've had the morning from hell," I confessed running my hands through my hair.

"Let's go get some muffins from the SWAT break room and you can tell me all about it," Matt smiled. I felt the tension ease from my shoulders a little.

"That is the best idea I've heard all morning." I replied, bending down to grab my handbag from the floor where I'd dumped it.

"I have no idea what Flack sees in her," I heard the blond tell the brunette. I straightened up to face them both, hands on my hips. The expression on my face must have been one of raw anger.

"An IQ higher than my bra size most likely," I snarled before turning on my heel and stomping up the stairs towards the SWAT offices.

------------------------------------

"It really does sound as if you've had a bad day," Matt said sympathetically. He glanced at Thomas who was drawing circles in the notepad Matt had managed to find.

I checked my watch.

"It's not even twelve yet," I replied gloomily, taking a sip from my coffee.

"A good point is that it can't get any worse," I told Matt, taking a bite out of a muffin. The minute those words were out of my mouth I knew I'd jinxed myself.

It was at that very moment that Chief Sinclair chose to burst through the doors of the SWAT offices, his face contorted in anger.

"Devine! What in the hell were you thinking assaulting a former police officer?!" I was on my feet in an instant, meeting Sinclair in the middle of the room.

"I didn't try to assault him; I arrested him because he was drunk as hell and trying to get back into his car after ramming up the back of mine!" I defended, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's not what O'Brian or his broken nose is saying," he shouted.

"So you believe a dishonourable scumbag over one of your own Detectives!" I retorted.

"You're on paid administrative leave until the evidence proves otherwise. IAB will be here in a few minutes to take your statement." Sinclair's glare made it clear he was not arguing with me over this. He turned his back on me and stormed back out the way he had came, leaving me in a stunned open mouthed silence.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!**_

_Axellia: lol you could watch RES Evil as well he's in that. I do love him and his handsomeness. (stop drooling Donna!) Thanks for the info, I've mailed you back about a few things. Lol Everyone's worrying about they're fave chars hopefully. New ep is on tomorrow! Thanks for the review._

_Forest Angel: Thank you so much. I wanted a chapter to show exactly what kind of partnership Gus and Flack had._

_Sparkycsi: lol I loved the "Stop, drop and roll you…" line. I wanted to make sure their relationship shows, esp since she's more Don's friend._

_Bluehavan4220: If you want to see more of Gus and her antics tune into NOLA RISING, by Maddy Bellows. It's a really good fic and she lent me the char. She seriously has me in stitches sometimes!_


	44. Chapter 44: For The Love Of IAB

Chapter Forty Four

_  
No one to blame, no one to blame  
Seems to me, can't turn back the hands of time  
Oh it seems to me, can't back the hands of time_

_Groove Armanda – Hands of Time_

My statement was apparently to be taken in one of the interrogation rooms we usually left reserved for criminals. Taking a deep breath I followed the older patrol cop into the room where IAB was going to interview me.

Matt thankfully, had taken charge of Thomas until Flack arrived.

The Detective from IAB raised his head to watch as I entered the room. His hair was the colour of milk chocolate, from what I could tell his parentage Hispanic. He looked barely legal. I was furious before I'd entered the room, but now I was simply frightened. I'd been under IAB investigation before, for defending myself against Don's brother-in-law after he tried to attack his wife in the middle of reception. I was very conscious that incident may have an effect of the outcome of all this.

"Detective Devine, will you take a seat please?" he asked indicating to the chair on the other side of the table.

I slipped into the seat wordlessly as he returned his gaze back to the files in front of him. The one that included O'Brian's statement.

"I'm Detective Hardman with IAB, and we're here today because a complaint has been made against you by Daniel O'Brian. This conversation will be recorded," Hardman informed me, slipping the tape into the recorder. I nodded my response waiting for him to flick the cassette on.

"I assume you know why your here today?" Hardman asked me.

"Yes."

"Could you detail the event in your own words?" Hardman asked. All this as procedure and I knew it, it still didn't stop my heart from pounding like crazy in my chest.

I began to talk about the drive to the grocery store and then the moment my car was rammed, my concern had primarily been my son and the damage to the car. I hadn't known it was O'Brian until he'd stepped out, drunk as hell.

Hardman nodded throughout my testimony encouraging me through the parts that I seemed unclear on. He studied me with weary grey eyes before turning his attention to the papers in front of him.

"According to O'Brian, you slammed his head against the window of your car, hence the broken nose and the injuries to his face." Hardman stated, watching me.

I shook my head.

"He tripped on a paving stone when I attempted to restrain him. His face impacted on the window due to his own momentum," I explained, envisioning the incident in my mind's eye.

"You say there were no witnesses to back you up on this?" I shook my head.

"The roads were clear, and the sidewalk was pretty much empty. It's a quiet neighbourhood around there." I sighed, raking my hair with my hands and shaking my head.

"Now you and Detective O'Brian have a history don't you?" Hardman asked, as he read through the papers in front of him. I laced my fingers together in front of me feeling my heart sink a little.

"It says here that you launched a sexual harassment complaint against him several years ago resulting in his termination." Hardman paused for a second before continuing grimly, "There was also an incident off the record of a fight between your husband, Detective Donald Flack Junior and Daniel O'Brian in which several members of the NYPD had to restrain both men. The peacemaker in the case was Detective Mac Taylor, charges were never made but it was clear that the fight was over you." Hardman looked up meeting my gaze.

"Can you explain your history with O'Brian for me please?" he asked, sitting back in his chair. I swallowed hard.

"It's already on the paper in front of you," I pointed out. Hardman raised an eyebrow at me before leaning forward on his elbows.

"I'd like to hear it from you." Although his voice was quiet I picked up the demanding tone in it.

"We met on a case I was investigating. I needed help from Vice and was assigned O'Brian. Immediately from the onset, he was borderline inappropriate. As it turned out him and my husband have a personal history and apparently O'Brian wasn't able to get over the fact that Flack was promoted over him," I tried to explain as quickly as I could without going into too much detail.

"Unfortunately, O'Brian thought the way to get to Flack was through me. He railroaded my case and made unwanted advances on me consistently. I was already going through a rough time…I'd been attacked by my ex- husband months previously and I had been wrongly informed that I couldn't have children. I disappeared off to Miami, not my finest moment but I needed a break." For a second I thought I saw a flash of sympathy, but it disappeared behind Hardman's neutral mask.

"I can't tell you what the fight was about because Flack has never told me. From what I gather O'Brian was saying a few unsavoury things about me and Flack lost his temper under the continuous pressure he was under." I was trying to defend Flack's actions, but I knew my words were ringing true with Hardman as he nodded his own agreement. Flack was well known throughout the stationhouse and around it especially for being able to hold his temper in regards to other officers.

"Throughout the months I ignored O'Brian's jibes and taunts until the day I made that complaint," I said thoughtfully.

"He managed to pin me between himself and a desk and wouldn't let me leave. I had to defend myself; there was a witness to the scene," I told Hardman who studied his papers again.

"So I can see…your complaint resulted in O'Brian being fired from the NYPD. There seems to be a lot of bad blood between the two of you," Hardman stated before turning the pages in front of him.

"It's more on his part than mine," I muttered. Hardman looked at me pointedly.

"So it would seem from Detective Wu's notes," he confirmed. He was leaning back on his chair again now, his expression somewhat uneasy.

"I have to ask this Detective Devine, so feel free to answer in your own time." I frowned at his choice of words; his expression did look like one of genuine sympathy. He loosened his tie before continuing.

"Two months ago you were subject to immense mental and physical trauma." I closed my eyes letting out a deep sigh as he began.

"Yes." I said quietly.

"Although you were cleared by the department shrink to return to work in late February. It appears that you have had no psychological treatment since the event." He inquired. I felt his eyes examining me, looking for possible problems.

"That is true; I've been handling it fine like this, my friends have been supportive through out the whole thing. Without them and the help of my husband I probably would have sought help." I said firmly, feeling my jaw beginning to clench again.

"A symptom of Post Traumatic Stress is sometimes random acts of violence," Hardman stated. I was staring at him now, my expression one of disbelief. My temper was rising at the audacity of this whole situation. I was on my feet, my hands were on the desk and I was staring Hardman in the face.

"Don't you think if I was experiencing Post Traumatic Stress someone would have noticed by now? I have a friend who's a psychologist, Detective Hardman and trust me she'd tell me if I was experiencing signs of a psychological disorder."

Hardman was on his feet now, matching my furious gaze with one of cold calmness.

"Detective Devine, I urge you to return to your seat immediately," he said quietly.

"I have had enough of being made to feel like a suspect. I went out to get groceries with my son and that idiot rammed right into the back of my car! And now he's claiming police brutality because he was too damned drunk to see where he was going and tripped on a paving stone! Jesus Christ, I could smell he alcohol on him when he stepped out of the car. This is a compete farce I've been stuck here at the station on my day off, with my son for…" I checked my watch, "Three hours now. All you had to do was look at his breathalyzer test to see that I was in the right trying to stop him getting into that car…" I caught the look on Hardman's face and lost my thread on the rant I was going into. His lips were pursed tightly together and his expression reminded me of a guilty child.

"Tell me you've breathalysed him!" I exclaimed sharply, feeling myself about to snap.

"His lawyer managed to prevent…"

"Every hour, the blood alcohol level drops, you should know that! It's a crucial part of this case! You should know that." I was running my hands through my hair again, my eyes still on Harman who was saying nothing.

"Oh My God, have they given me a trainee member of IAB or is this some sort of bad joke?" I growled furiously. Hardman's head bowed low, so his gaze was on the table. Panic well up inside me as I realized what the hell was going on.

"They have given me a junior member of IAB haven't they?" I asked, clenching my fists so tightly I could felt the nails digging into my palm. Hardman raised his head, yet he still refused to look at me.

"This is my first major investigation," he stated trying to defend himself.

"And you've left the main suspect stewing in cell to sober up?" My jaw dropped as Hardman's cheeks flushed red and he turned his head away for the second time under my penetrating gaze.

"He's not in a cell?!" I all but screamed, banging my hands down on the table top.

Hardman jumped before putting his head high and refusing to answer me.

"That's it, I'm out of here, I am grabbing my son and we are going to try to clear up the bigger mess that you have created for me," I yelled as I yanked open the glass door and slamming it so hard behind me that the glass cracked in the pane.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol not a prob, for three days I'm off the loop because I have a friend who stays over a few days a week. I still put chapters up just don't write anything. I wanted to show their relationship, as she is more Flack's friend. I love the relationship you paint their relationship and I wanted to keep some resemblance of it. I love writing her in these situations with Flack. I am honoured you think so! Lol I'm glad things make a bit more sense, I still wanted to give you a surprise. I have a few new plot details for Gus so I may need your help, I'll send you a mail about them. I always send you the Gus chapters before I post them up. I can appreciate it's going to be a busy time for you, so no prob and have fun!_

_Sparkycsi: lol damn you and your previews! I can no wait. Lol I was thinking, that Carmen has to still adapt to having a child so there's things she can't say. Hence why she suddenly remembered not to swear, it made me smile writing it. Hopefully you will get a new chappy tonight. Maybe even a new story._

_Bluehavan4220: lol you'll have to wait a while but he will eventually get it. I'm not a hundred percent sure how yet. I'm glad you like NOLA!_

_JoanneF: lol it gets worse for Carmen, if I was her I would be fuming. I would have probably thrown O'Brian into the path of a passing car! He was one of my fave bad guys though._


	45. Chapter 45: My Hero

**AN: ****Daisyangel, this one is for you. (review replys will be in the next chapter.)**

Chapter Forty Five

_It's time to clear up your emotional debris  
And if I'm falling overboard, please don't save me  
'Cos I'm telling you now? _

I Quit! I Quit! 

_Hepburn – I Quit_

A mix of frustration, and anger were instilled inside me as I pushed open the doors to reception mechanically. I was trembling trying to hold everything together as I caught sight of Thomas being crooned at by a short sandy blond haired woman I recognized from Matt's team.

Matt was parked at his desk, one eye on the woman and Thomas, the other on door.

"Hey, how'd…whoa." Matt moved forward towards me, as tears started to spill over.

I felt Matt's hands on my shoulders as my vision blurred. I closed my eyes as he tugged me into a warm hug. I let out a deep breath before pulling away; his hands were still on my arms, creating a soothing connection.

"What's happening?" he asked, looking for any sort of clue. Before I knew it my jaw was clenching again at the repressed anger that was bubbling underneath the surface.

"They gave me a junior member of IAB and he didn't breathalyzer the bastard," I seethed.

"Now, now Detective Devine, I don't take too kindly to you spreading my client's good name through the mud." I whirled around to face the owner of the velvety voice.

I froze as a memory rushed at me as I caught sight of his face.

We'd met before. He was still articulately dressed; his doe brown eyes were on me the same way they had been at the ball when I'd been pregnant. He had a cold and calculated look to him. His floppy light brown hair was even pushed back in the same way.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting," he murmured, a strained smile spreading across his face.

"Dresden Marshall," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him.

"She's a little firecracker this one isn't she?" he smirked above my head, his gaze on Matt.

"So, it's you that managed to get that scumbag out and back on the streets," I growled, glaring at him as I crossed my arms over my chest. Dresden's gaze flickered back to me in vague annoyance.

"Better keep hold of that temper Detective Devine, otherwise I'll be launching my own complaint against you," Dresden warned me. I let out an unlady like snort.

"I must be off; I'll be seeing you both in at the proceedings no doubt," with that he turned his back on us both and marched towards the door.

"I'll sort this out," Matt told me, taking long strides towards the door Dresden has just walked out of. I reached out to stop him but the door was already banging closed behind him.

---------------------

"Dresden!" Matt called loudly as he broke out onto sidewalk. The lawyer stopped upon hearing his name before turning to face the SWAT member. A nasty smile curved across his face. Matt stopped inches from Dresden his bulky frame looming over the other man.

"Coming to plead her case?" Dresden taunted, raising an eyebrow. Matt crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Dresden as if he was dirt.

"I want to know what you're doing on this case; you don't work cases like this. You like to think yourself above the low lives," Matt recounted without adding his real thoughts onto the end of the sentence.

"Maybe me and O'Brian both have something in common," Dresden snarled, matching Matt's even gaze.

"Carmen has nothing to do with what happened in the past. I'm warning you Dresden don't try to drag her down." The threat in Matt's voice was imminent. Dresden shook his head, a cold grin splashing across his face.

"I'm simply trying to get justice for my client, and get a violent cop off the streets," Dresden smirked. Matt shook his head in disgust.

"You know she's not violent, this could ruin her career…"

Dresden cut him off, "She's losing her grip Matty; she's not the darling of the NYPD anymore. She's already lashed out at a civilian; I hear she tore a chunk out of the kid from IAB. I'd watch out in case she turns on you. I hear that people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress will do that to the ones they love," Dresden hissed. Matt's face etched with fury at Dresden's words.

Dresden had always managed to rile him and it was taking all of his self control not to punch the bastard in the face.

"I swear to God Dresden, if I find out your not playing fair with her, I will end you. Your reputation, your career will be in tatters."

"Look at how that turned out last time…" Dresden took a step back arms open before spinning on his heel ad disappearing into the crowd. Matt stood on the steps of the stationhouse, arms folded, feeling the floodgates of his memories open.

----------------------------

I was staring down at the tiny farmyard cow in my hands when I heard my name being called. "Carmen."

I lifted my head and peered through my hair to see Flack rushing towards me. His dark hair was tousled, his face still sleep ridden. He was wearing his NYPD t-shirt and dark jeans. His eyes were livid with worry, studying every single inch of my body and posture.

"Where's…" his eyes rested on Thomas who was setting up a tiny farm yard scene with the small plastic animals that Matt had pulled out of the toy box in reception.

"Hey," I responded wearily as Flack crouched down in front of me, his hands were on my arms, caressing them softly as he studied me.

"What's going on? There's all sorts of crazy rumours…" I pursed my lips shut for a second before the words began beginning to spill out of my mouth. All the anger and repression were building up inside me as I explained about O'Brian hitting the car, the IAB kid, Dresden.

By the end of it Flack's eyes had darkened with fury he looked down at the cow in my hands. "Erm Carmen…"

I followed his gaze. Somehow amongst all the talking I'd managed to snap the head off the cow in my hands. I stared at it before setting it on the seat next to me, my hands covering my face.

"I am really, really trying to hold it all together right now, but I think I am going to explode if I don't get out of here," I said very carefully to Flack.

"There's a few things we need to clear up before we leave," Don told me, climbing to his feet. He had his game face on and there was hell I could do about it.

"Firstly, does Mac know you've been suspended?" he asked, his phone was already out.

"He will by the end of the day," I informed Flack who was shaking his head.

"Not if I can help it. Another thing, this post traumatic stress, we need to call Gus. She can help us with this." I felt my temper beginning to peak. I was on my feet, leaning close to him.

"I do not have post traumatic stress!" I hissed at him, hands on my hips.

Flack put his hand on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. "I know that, you know that, but we need to get a professional to verify it and Gus has contacts," Flack told me. His fingers stroking my face were beginning to sooth me a little. He cradled my face in his hands, his expression softening.

"Look I know you've had the day from hell, and I promise you I will help you through this. Right now you need to trust me and let me take care of you Carmen," Flack murmured. I closed my eyes and nodded as he planted gentle kiss on my lips.

Flack drew away, his forehead resting against mine, making the situation more intimate as I began to fall into the depths of his eyes, feeling utterly exhausted.

"As soon as we get home, I'll run you a nice hot bath with lots of bubbles and pour you a glass of wine, and help you relax properly before we go to Ray's. Does that sound good?" he asked quietly.

I gave him my first smile of the day. His hand was on the back of my neck, stroking it and bringing me closer into a loving embrace.

"I'm here for you, ok?" he murmured into my hair. I nodded my response, getting lost in his scent and the security of him.

There was a distinct throat clearing. I pulled away from Don; his arms still around me as I twisted my head towards Matt.

"I thought I'd warn you, there's a small media circus outside the front. I think Dresden tipped them off." I felt a rush of anxiety and helplessness run through me.

Flack let go of me to pick up Thomas, who was standing up and reaching for his father.

"This is the last thing I need," I muttered rubbing my temples at the impending headache coming on.

"Matt, can you take Carmen and Thomas up to the Crime Lab and then drive them home? Do not talk to anyone before you talk to Mac," Don advised me, taking charge of the situation. Matt took Thomas from Flack's arms nodding.

"Where are you going?" I called after Flack as he stalked purposely towards the front entrance of the building. He glanced at me over his shoulder giving me a reassuring wink.

"To talk to the press." I stared after him as he opened the door and stepped out into the street.

Detective Donald Flack.

My hero.


	46. Chapter 46: Unwind

Chapter Forty Six

_We're distracted by the hard times, _

_And the troubles that we make  
Let us throw them in the ocean, _

_Let it wash our cares away_

_Paulo Nutini – Million Faces_

The minute I made it into the apartment Flack was on his feet and taking Thomas from my arms where he was yawning soundlessly.

"How did you get back before I did?" I whispered following him into Thomas's bedroom as he put the little guy to bed. Flack smoothed the hair from Thomas's face as he set him into the bed and pulled the sheet up to his chest. I found a tiny smile escaping across my face.

"You took a long time in the crime lab," he responded. I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped into the living room; Flack closed Thomas's door behind him. He moved behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist, his lips kissing my neck gently. I leaned against him feeling exhaustion beginning to take over.

"Mac's not too impressed at IAB; he was ripping into the Head when I left. Adam has been trying to convince me being suspended is like being on a paid holiday," I told Flack, pulling a face. Flack gave me a wry grin before nudging me in the direction of the bathroom.

"I've run you a bath; I'll bring you a glass of wine in a few minutes. Just settle down and relax," he urged me. I pulled a tongue at him, before pulling my hair back into a messy bun and trooping into the bathroom.

The bath was full to the brim, bursting with bubbles. Flack had even gone to the trouble of hanging my favourite bathrobe on the back of the door and putting the best fluffy white towels next to bath.

I heard the door open behind me and turned to face Flack. I felt the first genuine smile cross my features as I reached out and took the glass of wine from his outstretched hand. His eyes were on me as I took a sip and then placed the glass down by the sink.

"You want to help me get undressed?" I asked raising an eyebrow. Flack took **a** step towards me. His hand cradled my face gently, as his lips brushed mine. His hands slid tenderly to my shoulders and then further down as he undid the first button of my blouse. His kisses were soft as he slid the shirt from my shoulders. It landed on the floor.

His lips were on my neck before he moved slowly downwards until he ended up on his knees in front of me. I bit my lip as he undid the button on my jeans and helped me out of them.

Flack's hands trailed up my legs and then caressed the curves of my body as he moved back into a standing position. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss. I felt Flack responding, his hands sliding down my back and unhooking my bra. It fell to the floor with the rest of my clothes. I was wearing nothing but my panties. I grinned wickedly as I slipped those off too.

"If you don't get in the bath…" Flack breathed, his eyes roaming my body.

"Maybe you should get in too," I suggested, stepping into the deep tub of water. The heat felt so soothing against my skin; I could feel myself instantly relaxing.

I let out a sigh of relief as I slipped down up to my neck in bubbles. I closed my eyes, loving the feeling of the hot water removing the aches and pains of the day.

Upon opening my eyes again, I watched Flack as he sat down on the edge of the bath, his eyes on me as a contented smile overcame his handsome features.

"You look a lot happier," he told me honestly already answering the question I was going to ask.

"I just…you would not believe how good this feels," I replied sinking deeper into the bubbles.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." I studied him for a second before asking one of the questions that was bothering me.

"What did you say to the press?" I asked curiously. Flack shrugged.

"I told them that you were distraught that such a complaint had been made against you and that you had everyone's full support. There's not much they could say to that," Flack told me as a matter of fact.

"I bet you were all intimating looking," I teased him. Flack looked thoughtful for a second before answering.

"Maybe a little. We'll talk about it later with the others," Flack told me, rising to his feet.

"You relax right here and I'll go make dinner, before the sitter gets here." Flack said, unable to shift the grin off his face.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" I asked half serious as he bent down to kiss my forehead.

"You're my soul mate," he said simply, his eyes honest and true. I felt my heart melt as his lips brushed mine again.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol your review really moved me. I'm glad you think so highly of my writing. It means that writing course is somewhat paying off lol I love the idea of them all being a family. I didn't think smacking him would be good for her case! Lol Take your time with the emails, I'm not in rush. The web gets a little more tangled as we go on. Thank you for a beautiful review and have a fab Mardi Gras!!!_

_DaisyAngel: It's always nice to know a story I appreciated so thanks for putting all the effort into these two stories. I really wanted to pile the pressure on Carmen to show that there is a realistic chance she won't win the case. They'll be more dreams to come so you'll have to see! _

_Forest Angel: It's got three different storylines running through it so let's hope I manage to do it justice. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: lol I already have a little of the O'Brian scene where he gets what's coming to him in my head, so let's see how it works out. Thanks for getting back tome on everything. I want a Flack, oh, imagine a Flack plushie! Did you ever get the icons of Danny and Adam I sent you? OMG on the little Danny spoiler!_


	47. Chapter 47: Group Therapy

Chapter Forty Seven

_When my insides are wrecked with anxiety  
You have the touch that will quiet me  
You lift my spirit  
You melt the ice  
When I need inspiration  
When I need advice  
I turn to you_

_Mel C – I Turn To You_

Ray's was quiet; Mac had managed to grab the most private booth he could manage in the back of the bar. The jugs of beer were already set out on the table as the whole team crowded around it. Danny glanced up catchng sight of me and Flack entering hand in hand. He was on his feet already pouring beer into two beer glasses.

"Hey, here they are!" he exclaimed. Cory rose to her feet, pulling me into a warm hug.

"How are you doing? The guys have just been telling us all about it," she said analyzing my face. I shrugged.

"I've had better days," I told her honestly. Flack slipped into the booth next to Gus who was staring into her beer. I ducked in next to him.

"IAB has taken Hardman off the case; it's been handed to Wu," Mac informed me from across the table. His hand was firmly clamped around his beer mug as he swigged from it.

"At least that's some good news," I remarked.

"We have Evans on the case, analyzing the evidence. He's thorough and I trust him to make sure everything comes out accurate," Mac continued before glancing at Stella, who nodded her approval.

"If there's any evidence he'll find it," she confirmed.

"I've booked an appointment with the guy that's going to evaluate you. It's tomorrow at three," Gus added, sliding a piece of paper with a name and address on it across the table.

"He's the best in the field, so you should be fine with him."

"Also this weekend we are taking you out. An all day pampering session on Saturday with all of us girls, what do you say?" Taylor asked me. I felt my chest loosen as I looked around the table at everyone; they were all rooting for me in one way or another. I knew they had my back.

"Thank you, I really appreciate everything you're all doing," I told them compassionately.

"What are friends for?" Taylor shrugged. I felt a grin spreading across my face as I sipped my beer. There was a lull in the conversation before Gus's voice broke the silence.

"Will you quit poking me?!" I turned to see Flack prod her again. Gus glared at him. Everyone's attention had turned to the two of the now. Gus and Flack were too busy squabbling for them both to notice.

"You can not make me tell them about the cancer!" she erupted smacking his arm. Flack tilted his head, his face frozen at the expressions of the group who had overheard everything. Gus followed his gaze frowning as everyone starred at her, mouths open.

"Gussie?" Mac asked quietly, setting his drink down on the table.

Gus covered her face with her hands for a second before peering through them. Flack's arm wrapped around her shoulders, showing his support. She raised her head and met Mac's eyes.

"I have cancer," she stated. Holding her head high she began to explain all about it including the main problem, the fact she had a particularly rare blood type. At the end of it Stella reached out and took Gus's hand.

"We're here for you," Stella murmured, meeting Gus's eyes. Gus nodded before sniffing, and turning her head away.

"I think…I think we have the same blood type," Taylor ventured cautiously. Gus's gaze fastened on the dark haired woman on the opposite side of the table.

"We could go the hospital to check…um…if you're not busy," Taylor continued, unsure on the whole situation. She didn't want Gus to die, but she was nervous about what a kidney transplant would entail. Gus was staring at Taylor not entirely sure what she should be feeling right now.

"I think it's probably best if we go to the hospital and the doctor's explain everything to you first, and then you can decide abut the transplant. It's an important decision and you don't want to make it without knowing the consequences of your decision," Gus explained to Taylor, who nodded her agreement at this, looking slightly relieved.

There was a silence whilst everyone took in the events that had just transpired.

"So has anybody else got any news they want to share while we're here?" I asked interrupting the thoughtful atmosphere that had been created. Taylor raised her hand sheepishly before glancing at Matt who broke out into a wide grin and nodded.

"We're getting married!" she exclaimed, beaming at the group around the table.

In seconds everyone was on their feet, congratulating Taylor and Matt with hugs and handshakes. I wrapped my arms around Taylor.

"Congratulations!" I murmured into her ear. I pulled away before finding myself swallowed into a bear hug by Matt who was smiling impishly.

"I am so happy for you both," I told them honestly, moving out of the way as Cory leapt at Taylor, hugging her around the shoulders.

"It was the juicer that caused it," Matt told me with a wink. I laughed aloud realizing what he was talking about.

"She didn't put the lid on did she?" I giggled as Matt shook his head. Mac was already filling up the mugs of beer around the table. Danny grabbed his and raised it high above his head.

"A toast! To the future!" he yelled, as the rest of us followed suit.

"To the future!"

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: It's not a problem. I am really glad at how well you did in your exams. High five to you! Well done on all your hard work! Lol more than chocolate??! Are you sure?! Lol how about reading it whilst eating chocolate, sounds like the ultimate heaven. Lol I practically update everyday so you all usually get a chapter a day unless I can't make it to a pc. My uni works picking up at then min, so fingers crossed I get the time to write!_

_Daisyangel: lol he's mine too! What I wouldn't give for a Flack! I love Matt, I wish he was my friend, I wanted to show the relationship between Carmen and Matt a little bit more. Bubble baths are so lovely, esp with candles and a good book! Oh just to make sure you know, Gus is Maddy Bellows char from NOLA RISING, I advise you give it a little read, it's a really great story._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I know, I update at least once a day if I can get to a pc. When I went back to this chapter and added a little I just couldn't write a sex scene between the two because I thought that wasn't what they need at the time. I remembered they hadn't seen each other in a few days and their both aware of it, so I thought they need something more than 'crazy monkey sex'. Lol Thank you for rating my writing so highly. I love writing these two as a couple. I wanna see more of Gus!_

_Bluehavan4220: I'm glad you like it! I wanted a bit more of a softer chapter, esp in response to everything she'd been through in that day. Thanks so much for your review it really inspired me!_

_Sparkycsi: 2 hours! I hat it when does that. Your email maybe down a the min, so I sent some stuff to the SPAXAPH account. I love Flack too, he just radiates wit and handsomeness. (I am drooling again!) Did you get the Danny – cookies one?(icon) OMG he has a Harley, I was like "you are so so sexy right now!" Jess and Don were so cute with the Irish coffee thing, I can't wait to see if they get it together! I've been mentally pairing them since she came on to the series. _


	48. Chapter 48: Cause and Effect

Chapter Forty Eight

_The truth be told I'm worried what the future holds_

_They say the future's out to get you,_

_You know that I won't let you fall_

_The Hoosiers – Worried About Ray_

"Oh no Danny boy, do no think for a second just because you walked me home I'm letting you step foot in my apartment." Cory told Danny, half joking. Danny gave her a look that made her knees turn to jelly, before putting his hands on her hips and pulling her into a smouldering kiss.

Cory broke away from Danny breathless and pouted.

"That's not fair Messer!" she groaned eyeing Danny in mock anger.

Danny's lips were on hers again, making her body respond to his touch. It was Danny that pulled away this time He stroked her cheek and gave her a teasing smile.

"That one was for the road _bella._" He laughed at her expression and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Sweet dreams." he whispered. Cory gave him a small finger wave as he retreated back towards the elevators.

It was late when Cory eventually crawled into her apartment. The drink had taken toll on her as she dragged herself into her bedroom, managing to pull her quilt back and eventually flopping into bed thinking about Danny's seductive kisses and wandering hands.

--------------------------------------

Cory opened her eyes and stared at the field of bluebonnets, where she first found out that Armando was going to be her spirit guide. She felt Armando's presence behind her before she turned and stared at him.

"What's going on?" she asked looking around her. Memories from the dream a few nights ago returned to her, startling her with their vividness. "Armando? Please, tell me what's going on?"

"It's time to show you more. We can only show you a few visions at a time without overloading your mind. It's time to see what has become of some of your friends after the blast."

"You mean there's going to be more?" Cory asked quietly as she closed her eyes, hoping to block out the images.

Armando gently picked up her hand. "We still have a long way to go yet Cory," he whispered in her ear. "Open your eyes."

Cory opened her eyes and studied their surroundings.

They were in a hospital room; Cory had been in enough to recognize it by the smell alone. She was unable to hold back tears of relief when she saw who was lying in the bed. She saw herself sitting in a chair next to Danny's bed. It was when she looked at his face that she realized that something was wrong. There were bandages over his eyes.

"Bella?" Danny's voice was tiny and childlike as he called into the room. It broke her heart.

The other Cory, the one still clad in a torn ball gown, reached out her hand and clasped Danny's tightly.

"I'm here Danny, I'm right here," she told him, trying to smile. Danny took a deep breath; it looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully.

"Bella? I can't see," he said finally. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she watched her other self swallow hard.

"You have bandages over your eyes, Danny. The blast broke your glasses; the glass was in your eyes. They've manage to get it all out, but your eyes need time to repair," Cory told him, stroking his knuckles gently with her thumb.

"Is it permanent?" he asked quietly. Cory could see herself stifling the urge to cry, she needed to remain strong for Danny.

"They don't know…"

-----------------------

They had moved again, this time to the viewing gallery of an operating room. Doctors and nurses in surgical masks were working in the centre of the room. There was something strange about the position of the body. It was lying on its front.

"The pillar's damaged his spinal cord to much to repair the damage," the first surgeon told the nurse in front of him.

"He's going to be paralysed from the waist down?" the second surgeon asked.

"Unfortunately yes, look at this area, there's no way we can fix this." The second surgeon checked the area that the first surgeon was gesturing to.

"The poor bastard, there's no way he's going back to SWAT after this one."

Cory covered her mouth with her hands and twisted her head to Armando. She was feeling physically sick.

"Is that Matt?" she asked trembling. Armando nodded before taking Cory's hand again.

"That's enough for tonight," Armando told her as they appeared in her bedroom.

Cory wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep from being sick. "Why are you showing me this? Is this something that I'm supposed to stop?" Cory stared at her dead friend as he remained silent. "Damn it, Armando! Don't you think that I know the pain and suffering that this is going to cause? If I'm supposed to stop it, then give me more information! Tell me when the bomb goes off or hell, at least who planted the bomb!"

Armando shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, Cory. You know that. I'm just here to guide you through these dreams. All of the information you need, you are being given. It's important for you to remember everything. The outcome relies solely on you."

With those departing words Armando disappeared and for the second time in over a week Cory woke up screaming.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol story and cookie dough ice cream sounds ideal! You don't see the interaction between the two sorry. I thought it would be bordering on NOLA RISING abit too much. I'm glad you like that interaction, it creates more of a family atmosphere for me to play with. Thanks for the review on Kings and Shadows._

_Maddy Bellows: Thanks so much it really means a lot you think that. I want to keep everyone close as if they are a family. You had a chance to take a look at the plot? I sent you?_

_Daisyangel: Thanks for the review. I may be taking you up on that offer soon enough!_

_Sparkycsi: Sorry they were off to Ray's I forgot to mention it. My chapters are going to be patching because I'm busy this weekend so I'm not sure when you'll get another one, I have a load of uni work to do. (They're trying to smother me with it!) I'm also kind of busy this weekend with my bros birthday and my friend coming over on Sunday night. SO we'll see what I can do. Thanks for the review._


	49. Chapter 49: Saving A Life

**AN:**** sorry there was a hit of delay, but you'll probably be seeing that more regularly from now on. Uni is keeping me pretty busy so I'll be grabbing writing time whenever I can!**

Chapter Forty Nine

_Let him know that you know best  
Cause after all you do know best  
Try to slip past his defence  
Without granting innocence_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

_The Fray – How to Save A Life_

The next day I was up early and driving Flack's car to the hospital. I'd picked up Taylor and we were to meet Gus in the reception area. After his one day off, Flack was back on nights tonight and I was less than empathetic about the fact I wasn't going to work for at least another week. Amongst the mail this morning, on the way out I'd spotted the NYPD logo on the front of one of the envelope. Hastily, I grabbed that letter and leaving all the other mail in the mail box, I opened it in the car.

The trial filing for what I was going to be charged with was on Monday. Part of me couldn't believe that the whole thing had gotten this far. I had a meeting with my lawyer tomorrow. Mac had handed me a card on the way out of the bar last night, it contained the name and contact details of Lance Ryan. Apparently he specialised in this sort of thing.

The fact I'd actually had to get a lawyer made things more real for me.

"You nervous?" I asked Taylor giving her a sidelong glance. Taylor bobbed her head from side to side as she tried to think of the correct way to answer.

"A little. Gus hasn't put any pressure on me one way or another. I just hope I can help. I did some research on the internet last night and if I match Gus, then I'll be out of work for four to six weeks."

I pulled a face. "Your boss isn't gonna like that," I pointed out, remembering that Taylor's boss was the ultimate bitch from hell.

Taylor snorted. "If it saves Gus's life she's going to have to!" Taylor griped. I nodded my response pulling into the hospital parking lot. We both got out of the car and I locked the doors.

I looked up at Gus as we entered the reception area, arms folded over her chest, her expression anxious. I couldn't say I knew what she was going through but I could sympathise.

"Hey," I greeted her; she struggled to give us a smile as we approached. Instead, she looked at me uneasily. I frowned as she opened her mouth to say something. It was at that moment the Doctor chose to enter the reception area.

"Miss Turner, it's a pleasure to meet you." The doctor shook Taylor's hand.

"I'll be waiting here, when you both come back," I said, hugging both Taylor and Gus around the shoulders before dropping into a seat and watching them move through the double doors.

--------------------------------

The procedure took less than an hour, and both Gus and Taylor came out with smiles on their faces. Gus's was one of immense relief.

I stood up; I knew my face had a questioning look because Taylor suddenly spoke.

"I'm a match!" she announced. I drew both of them into excited hugs, before handing Gus my cell phone, grinning.

"You'd better call Flack; he's been worrying like crazy," I informed her. Gus took the cell phone from my hands and dialled Flack's number. Taylor and I moved away to give her a little more privacy.

"The operation's scheduled for two weeks time," Taylor told me. I studied her thoughtfully.

"And you're ok with this?" I asked her to make sure.

"The doctors went through everything with us, I'm sure I want to do this. Look how happy she is," Taylor said folding her arms over her chest. I followed her gaze to focus on Gus who was practically jumping for joy. I felt a smile crawling across my face.

"You want me to drop you off at work, so you can give your boss the good news?" I asked, slipping the keys out of my pocket.

"Would you mind?" she asked tilting her head at me. I checked my watch.

"I have time to drop you both off before my evaluation," I confirmed as Gus strode towards us, handing back my phone.

"Thanks," she said softly. I squeezed her arm gently before we all moved outside towards the car.

------------------------------

After dropping Taylor off at the offices for the paper, I was driving Gus back to her apartment so she could get some rest before the night shift tonight.

"Erm Carmen… You haven't, by chance, looked at today's papers have you?" Gus asked turning in the passenger seat to face me.

I shook my head.

"I don't really tend to read the papers; don't get a chance at the moment anyway…" I thought about the question for a second and frowned.

"Why?" I asked suspicious. Gus let out a deep sigh.

"You better pull over next to that bodega." Gus urged me. I did what she said and then twisted to face her in the car. She looked awkward.

"Give me a minute." She hopped out of the car. I followed her as she strolled into the bodega and returned with a newspaper.

"Look Gus, what's this about…" Gus dropped the lower half of the newspaper, revealing a large picture of my face. It was from after the Audrinna Mathews case, when we'd taken down a serial killer who was hitting Mob bosses.

"What the hell is that?" I erupted snatching the paper from her hands and studying the front page.

'NYPD Detective Lashes Out At Public!' The headline screamed. I sat there reading through the article stunned.

"I didn't want to tell you, but I thought it was best you knew." I stared at her aghast, the paper in my lap. Gus reached out taking the paper from me and dropping it into her own lap.

"I didn't want to mention it in front of Taylor, I'm pretty sure she had nothing to do with it." Gus told me, her eyes were on my face, I knew she was trying to guess what I was feeling.

"That bastard!" I growled, leaning back in my seat and resting my elbow on the ledge of the car window. The back of my hand was pressed against my mouth as I closed my eyes tightly.

"As far as I can tell it was only one paper he managed to get it into." Gus was trying to reassure me. My eyes flickered open, as I twisted my head towards her, wondering how this could get much worse.

"With a headline like that I'm sure every freakin' New Yorker has a copy," I snarled, trying to take deep breathes to calm myself. I rested my head on the steering wheel for a second trying to get a grip on myself.

I felt Gus's hand on my arm, she patted it gently.

"You need to pull yourself together," she told me. I raised my head speechless to look at her.

"This is slander, pure and simple; he is trying to shake you. He's doing his best to make you as unstable as possible before the trial." Her eyes were on mine intent, giving me a focus.

"You can't let him do that, your career is at risk, your reputation. You have to keep your head up high, even if he is playing dirty. You're one of the best detectives in the NYPD. You've faced murderers, rapists and hell knows what else. Do not let a piece of paper faze you, you're stronger than that," Gus stated firmly, jabbing her finger at the paper, she was now folding in her hands.

I bit my lip before bursting into a fit of giggles. Gus stared at me in disbelief, clearly confused by my turn around of emotions.

"You just stabbed your finger through my face," I sniggered. Gus's gaze dropped to find that I was indeed correct.

"Crap, I forgot how violent I get when I give pep talks," she drawled holding up the paper in front of her face and looking at me through the hole she'd created.

"I am so never getting you mad," I told her, facing forward and starting the engine. Gus fastened her seatbelt, shaking her head at the paper in her lap.

"Hey Gus…" I said as I checked the traffic and pulled out into the road.

"Thanks," I murmured. Gus shrugged and I knew that was her way of saying 'your welcome.'

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM' HEROES!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I hope you enjoy it, it's a fab story. Don't worry I will. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: I was thinking about what Danny would be like and thought that putting it may help a little. Lol I feel bad for her esp with what's coming. Sorry about not being online, its been damn hectic. I had my bros birthday day and chatting to my parents and uni work it's manic at the min. I'm going to see if I can get a chapter written tomorrow, I added to 54 but I'll see if I can write 55._

_JoanneF: It gets much worse for Cory, the visions show her what happens after the explosion and well it's not pretty. As for Gus, I love her so I hope she's ok too! Thanks for the review._

_Maddy Bellows: lol even I feel bad for Cory seeing all these things, I just want to hug her. Thanks for the email, I can see what you mean, I'll just have to see how it pans out, it will be fleshed out with chapters, but I have no idea what's going to come ahead. They'll be cases in between and things. Thanks for the review._


	50. Chapter 50: Picture Perfect

**AN:**** Thank you to Sparkycsi for being a magnificent beta. Also a special thanks to DaisyAngel for her help with kidney transplants!**

Chapter Fifty

_If you're cold I'll keep you warm,_

_If your low just hold on_

_Because I will be your safety_

_Don't leave home._

_Dido- Don't Leave Home_

Thomas was still asleep when I sat down at the kitchen table and began flicking through the mail. Flack had left me a note decorated with smiley faces, telling me to keep my chin up at the onslaught of yesterday's newspaper. He had brought the mail up last night. His shift was over running into the hours of late morning and he showed no signs of being back anytime soon.

I sipped my coffee wearily. I was a bad morning person at the best of times. After all of the drinking last night I had the hangover from hell. I knew I looked as rough as I felt. My head was banging as I placed letter after letter into piles. Junk mail, bills and Flack…

I found myself holding a brown manila envelope in my hands. It was A5 sized and sealed at the top.

My name was hastily scrawled on the front, and that was it. No address, or post stamp. This had been hand delivered. I tore the top open and tipped the contents on to the table in front of me.

It took me a moment to register what exactly they were. I picked up the pieces of paper in my hands and peered closely at them.

They were photographs.

Each of them was taken the day before yesterday. Each showed Matt and I in our escape from the station. There were some of us sneaking out of the backdoor of station house. There were more of us outside my apartment building. Matt had hugged me and told me to keep my chin up. There was another of him carrying Thomas's sleeping form out of his car and handing him too me.

My insides went cold. The photographs fell from my hand and slid across the table. I stared at them, horrified. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't surprised that two minutes later my cell phone was in my hand and I was calling Mac.

---------------------------

I hadn't realized how much I'd missed the crime lab until I was walking through it. Everyone had their heads bent and were working around the clock waiting for lab results and working damn hard.

We were in Mac's office now. Thomas was tottering around Mac's office, practising on his Leapfrog Touchpad as I looked around at the bustle of the lab grumpily.

"These were taken the day before yesterday?" Mac asked after studying the pictures, he was wearing latex gloves on his hands.

I turned back to face him. "When Don was dealing with the press, Matt was sneaking me and Thomas out the back entrance. Matt drove me to the apartment, hugged me and then left."

"You think it's O'Brian?" Mac asked his eyes on me, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the cabinet surrounding his office.

"Who else could it be? Years ago I would have said no but now…He's just slapped a police brutality suit on my ass. I'm not sure what he's capable of," I admitted, shaking my head, and resting my elbows on the arms of the comfy chair.

"I'll have these analysed right away and see what we can come up with, if it is O'Brian it may help your case, but there's no point in mentioning this to your lawyer yet, we don't know for sure," Mac warned me. I nodded feeling downtrodden.

Mac bowed his head for a second before meeting my gaze.

"None the less, it seems you have a stalker," he said, I could tell he was thinking out loud.

"Have you seen the papers?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Gus showed me yesterdays. I get the feeling he's trying to launch a campaign against me," I confessed to Mac, running my hands over my face.

"It's a ploy to unnerve you before the trial; I'm more worried about these photographs though," Mac told me. I glared at the offending items.

"They just make everything worse," I groaned. "On top of everything Flack's working nights so we're hardly getting a chance to talk."

"I'm not happy about you being on your own at night. These…" he gestured at the glossy paper spread across his desk.

"May not even be associated with your pending trial and that's not a risk I'm willing to take especially with the fact your gun's currently in lock up," Mac bent down and ruffled Thomas's hair as he spoke. Thomas reached up and beamed at Mac.

"Grandpa," he said clearly. My face broke into a smile as did Mac's. He reached out and lifted the tiny boy up, kissing his forehead.

"I want overnight protection for you and Thomas," Mac told me as Thomas grabbed Mac's nose and tugged at it.

"Go nose." Thomas cheered waving his fist around.

"He's got a strong grip," Mac exclaimed laughing as he pulled Thomas out of reach of his nose.

"I doubt Sinclair's going to volunteer anyone for that. I'm not his favourite person at the moment," I pointed out; bring us back to the original subject.

"I've already thought that through, Matt's going to be staying at yours tonight whilst Flack's away," Mac told me dodging Thomas's attempts to grab his nose again.

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"It's not really fair for him to put his life on hold with Taylor to keep an eye on me," I said to Mac.

"He wanted to do it, that way we don't have to worry and you have an armed member at the NYPD with you over a twelve hour period. Taylor agreed with it, she'd rather have you both safe." He paused for a second, his eyes still on Thomas.

"I hear she's a match for Gus," he said, adjusting his gaze to me.

"The operation's scheduled for the third of April," I confirmed.

Mac nodded as his gaze stayed to something over my shoulder. I twisted in my chair to see what had caught his attention.

Sinclair was pacing towards us; the expression on his face was one of pure fury. Vaguely, I wondered how he knew I was here.

"I'll take care of this," Mac told me, as I rose to my feet and took Thomas from his arms. Mac held open the door for me as I slipped my bag onto my shoulder and dared out of the door.

For a second I thought Sinclair was going to let me breeze past him without saying a word, well that was what I'd been hoping for.

"Devine; I thought I made it clear to you that your suspension was immediately effective!" I turned to face him, we were inches apart. The whole lab's eyes were on us as Sinclair's voice carried throughout it.

"I was here on a different matter," I stated, narrowing my eyes at the chief.

"I do not care; you will stay out of this lab! Otherwise, you'll find your suspension perm…" Thomas chose that moment to stretch out his tiny hand and grab Chief Sinclair's nose. Sinclair's mouth shut as if he had just realized the little boy was here.

It appeared that both me and Sinclair were speechless.

"Go nose!" Thomas yelled happily waving his fist around wildly. A smile was frozen on my face, and all the chatter in the lab stopped dead. I swear I heard Mac turn a laugh in to a cough.

"Is this your's and Flack's son?" Sinclair asked in a lower tone. I thought I could hear genuine warmth in it.

"Chief Sinclair meet Thomas Benjamin Flack," I introduced the two. Thomas leant close to the older man and touched his nose again, opening his tiny fist as he drew back.

"And I think he just gave you your nose back," I told the Chief who was looking at Thomas with a tiny smile.

"He's got Flack's looks, but your lack of respect for authority," Sinclair commented. I wasn't sure whether to take that as a complement or not.

"I don't want to see you back here again Devine, until after your trial," Sinclair uttered before ruffling Thomas's hair.

"You make sure to keep your mom away from here, kiddo," Sinclair told the small boy. Thomas reached for Sinclair's eyebrows. I pulled him away quickly.

"Sorry he's been playing with Mr Potato Head recently…" I trailed off realizing what I had just said. Over Sinclair's shoulder I saw Mac gesturing with his hand across his throat. The message was pretty clear.

Cut and run.

"So…" I muttered into the awkward silence. "We're going to go and I'll guess I'll see you after the trial Chief."

I turned my back on them and let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, trying to walk as calmly as possible away from the situation. I caught sight of Adam through the glass of the AV Lab bent over in silent hysterics. I pursed my lips together trying to suppress my own laughter. I only just made it into the elevator before finding myself erupting with nervous laughter.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_**Only two reviews, I'm pouting right now lol. Lets hope it picks up!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol I sent you a whole pile of stuff. So feel free to take your time on it. I managed to get a hell of a lot of work done for uni last week so I had some time for a break and figured I'd write something. I was getting plot bunnies in lectures!_

_Daisyangel: Thanks for all the help, you are a sweet heart. I find it pretty hard to understand the tech terms for things but you made it easier. Lol I wanted a light hearted moment to take the pressure off Carmen and I thought that that would be something that would make her laugh. I also wanted to show what kind f relationship her and Carmen have. Lo I have been horrifically cruel to my chars in these visions. You'll find out soon enough._


	51. Chapter 51: Back Tracking

Chapter Fifty One

_Baby, I don't wanna spend my life _

_On trial for something I did not do._

_Maybe because it's your all so insecure_

_Or maybe you plain don't care._

_Maroon 5 – Infatuation_

For the second time today I was sitting in another comfy chair, this time facing an empty desk. My legs were crossed and I was staring at the pictures on display there. It would appear that my lawyer was in the NYPD before he crossed to the other side. Matt was currently occupying my apartment and taking care of Thomas while I met up with my lawyer Lance Ryan, who was apparently running a little late.

The door behind me opened and I turned to see the sandy haired middle aged man enter the room. He gave me a friendly smile, I returned it.

"Mary, can you bring in two coffees please…you do drink coffee?" he asked me, raising his eyebrows. I nodded my reply as he shut the door behind him.

It was as he progressed to his desk that I noticed the predominant limp. I looked away embarrassed as he caught me looking. His eyes flickered to the file in his hand, his smile still bright.

"I got it in 9/11, broke it when part of the ceiling collapsed. Then had to quit the force and went back to law," he explained. I was a little shocked at his openness.

Lance dropped into his seat and raised his gaze to meet mine, his hands clasped in front of him.

"I've just been reading about you, would you believe?" he asked me. He chucked today's paper onto the desk for me to pick up and read. It appears some of the other papers were following suit from yesterday's readings.

"Don't worry I'm going to sue for slander. I have a contact at one of the papers, which says that this story was sold to them by O'Brian's lawyer," he reassured me. I suddenly relaxed; Mac had made sure I was in good hands.

"Thank you," I murmured. Lance shook his head.

"Don't thank me yet, we'll see how we get on at the trial before we get to that point," he told me before leaning back in his chair.

"I've taken a look at your case and it looks complicated to say the least. I've spoken to the judge and they'll only be focusing on this case, not the other bits of flair you have on your file."

Lance looked up at me, I must have looked confused.

"That's good; O'Brian's lawyer is going to bring up the former investigation against you for assaulting Michael Vermont. That will have no relevance on this case." I let out s sigh of relief.

"That was worrying me a little," I admitted. We both fell into silence as Mary entered with a tray of coffee and cookies.

"Thanks," I told the older woman as she gave me a benevolent smile on the way out.

"Take one," Lance said sipping his coffee and pushing the plate of cookies towards me. I did as I was told and bit into one. I practically moaned at how good it tasted.

"She bakes them herself, would you believe?" Lance told me, taking one for himself.

"No kidding?!" I exclaimed, picking up my mug of coffee and relaxing in my seat.

Lance shook his head.

"I know, she has about eight Grandkids underfoot too, I don't know how she does it," he said honestly.

"I am so bad at cooking; my husband tends to be the chef of the family," I shared with Lance. He nodded his agreement.

"I get take out the majority of the time, no dishes, no mess," he told me as he set his coffee down.

"Shall we get back to your case?" he asked with a knowing glint in his eye, it was at that point I knew why Mac had sent me here. Lance was good at his job and he helped me to relax.

"I think I ought to tell you, a piece of evidence has been brought up, it's still being analysed but there's a possibility it may help your case. I can't tell you anything about it yet, unofficially though this may be the break you need. I'm afraid you're going to have to trust me," I raised an eyebrow at Lance's words.

"Should I?" I asked him studying his face. He gave me a weary grin.

"Mac said you may say that, and he told me to tell you to let me handle it," Lance tried to reassure me. I folded my arms over my chest.

"Damn Mac with his mystery evidence," I mumbled. Lance chuckled at my display. He took another bite from a cookie and then handed me a piece of paper.

"Let's go over what they're going to ask you in court."

---------------------------

It was just past rush hour when I eventually made it back to the apartment. I managed to push the door open to catch sight of Matt's burly figure clad in a small apron, my mother had given to me an age ago, as a wedding gift. I raised an eyebrow and stifled a snigger as I closed the door behind me.

"Lasagne is in the oven, it's nearly done. And this little guy seems to be coming down from the sugar high from hell," Matt told me, pointing at Thomas who was sitting in his high chair, his hands playing with the small trucks in front of him.

"That would be because he got into Gus's sweet drawer when I went to visit Don at the station. God knows how much he managed to get through before Gus realized," I confessed, pulling my coat off my shoulders and putting it on the back of the chair.

"Look you can leave if you want…" I began. "I know you'd rather be spending time with Taylor than doing this."

Matt turned to face me still peeling the orange in his hand and frowning.

"You're kidding right?" he snorted. "Taylor would eat me alive if I left you and Thomas alone here."

I actually imagined Taylor's reaction to this and found myself cringing slightly.

"I was just giving you the option," I told him before dropping into my chair as Matt got out the plates.

"I've made enough for Don to have some when he gets of shift, so just let him know it's in the fridge," Matt informed me. It was a very weird sight for me to see him clad in an apron, his large hands in oven mitts, loading lasagne onto different plates.

"You didn't have to make dinner you know?" I remarked despite the fact it smelt delicious and my mouth was watering.

"Actually I did. I have to talk to you about something." I stared at Matt, the smile slipping of my face.

"About what?" I asked as he set a plate in front of me and a little bowl in front of Thomas. He said nothing until he dropped into the middle seat. I watched as he played with his food before answering.

"It's about Dresden," he said as I took a bite out of my red hot lasagne. It tasted fabulous, reminding me of the meals Matt used to make me when I was stuck in the hospital after receiving a gunshot to the chest.

"What's he done now?" I groaned. Matt shook his head.

"I didn't think he could try and mess up my life anymore than he already is," I growled stabbing at the pasta with my fork. Matt watched this movement uneasily.

"I think the reason Dresden is trying to wreck your career is because of me," Matt burst out suddenly. My fork stopped midway to my mouth as I stared at him.

"That makes no sense. You met Dresden the same time I did at that ball thing; you did your whole "back off" routine. Why would he be wrecking my career because of you?" I asked unable to but the whole puzzle Matt was throwing at me into place.

Matt set down his fork and turned his gaze to me, biting his lip.

"That wasn't the first time I met Dresden. I met Dresden five years ago when I was getting divorced from Elena," he told me, his hands clasped in front of him. This was the first time I heard Matt talk about his ex-wife.

"Was he your lawyer?" I asked putting my fork down.

"No, he was Elena's." he told me, he pushed his plate away and was staring at his hands.

"The thing you have to understand is that when Elena wanted to divorce me I was still in love with her. I wanted to give her whatever she wanted because I felt that it was me, my job that had driven her away. I wanted her to be happy."

He rubbed his hands on his face before continuing, "Elena's demands were pretty reasonable, I thought I was lucky, I'd heard abut other guys on the force that had got taken to the cleaners by their wives. But Elena was fair," he said, tapping his fingers on the table now.

"I missed her fiercely in the beginning so one night, during the proceedings I went back to the apartment we'd used to live in, I still had the key because I still had some stuff there and what I found…" Matt swallowed hard. I reached out and touched his hand gently. I knew that this was tough for him.

"Her and Dresden were…together," he told me uncomfortably.

"I hit the roof and slammed the door behind me in rage. I told my lawyer the next day what I'd seen and that's when Elena's new demands came through and they were ridiculous. I knew that Dresden was behind it. So I started to fight, I was so hurt and so angry. I launched a complaint against Dresden. I started my own campaign against him. Apparently this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this," he tried to explain. He fell silent for minute stuck in all the bitterness of the memories.

"What has this got to do with anything that's happening now?" I asked curiously. Matt met my eyes, his hazel one looked haunted.

"Dresden was set up to be promoted to Junior Partner in the firm he was working for. After I kicked up this huge mess for him, he was fired and the only place that would take him was the DA's office. His reputation was in tatters because I'd gone to the papers, he had no career left," Matt enlightened me.

"I still don't understand why he's out to get me, why doesn't he wreck your career and reputation, you're the one that did him wrong," I pointed out, leaning back and wrapping my arms around myself. Matt's eyes were on me intently.

"Have you seen my file?" Matt asked me. I shook my head.

"It glows Carmen, I've had no complaints because I haven't blown up anyone, and the only people I've shot are bad guys. The Bomb Squad and SWAT are different than what your guys do, we don't have to face the public the way you do, we pretty much just go in there, disarm or shoot and that's it." Matt was trying to make himself clear and I could see his point.

"Dresden thinks he can get to me through you. He's doing exactly what I did when I dragged his name through the mud."

"Did you send photographs too?" I shot back cautiously. Matt shook his head.

"I didn't think that's related to Dresden. I think that's O'Brian trying to get his own back over the whole past you've got together." I took a deep breath taking this all in.

"I know when I launched that complaint against Dresden, it became personal for him. I know he's been watching and waiting for me to slip up over the years, and I haven't because there's never been an opportunity to. I think when you and O'Brian dropped into his lap he saw something he could use." I stared at Matt struggling to comprehend this.

"That seems a little bit far fetched," I said finally.

"Just think about it," Matt sighed, rising to his feet and picking up my plate.

"Does Taylor anything about your divorce?" I asked watching his frame stiffen as I spoke.

"She knows bits and pieces, probably the same as Flack knows about your marriage to Stobbart," he returned slipping the plates into the sink.

I stared down at the table.

"He knows the majority of it," I informed Matt, peering at him through my hair.

"I didn't know that you did," I told him, feeling misery creeping over me as it always did when this subject came up.

Matt was washing the dishes now, his hands in the soapy water, head bent, focusing on scrubbing.

"I picked up things, when we were in the academy together. I'm observant when it comes to that stuff. My Dad used to hit my Mom, I know how people try and hide it and you were better than most," he said softly, giving me a sidelong glance.

I was stunned by this revelation; I couldn't image Matt bearing witness to such things. I hadn't realized how good he was at reading people.

"It only happened a few times," I told him turning my head away to focus on Thomas, who was still spooning his dinner into his mouth.

"I think Flack suspects, but he's never pushed me on it. I think he knows that part of my life was over the day Mathew was put away. It was the day I stopped being a victim," I admitted, fiddling with the ring on my finger. I smiled thoughtfully.

"I never thought I'd get married again," I confessed, remembering the second time that Flack had proposed. Matt had now picked up a tea towel and was proceeding to dry each plate.

"Me neither, but there's something about Taylor that made me want to do it all over again." He was leaning against the work surface now. I rested my chin on my hand and watched him as he spoke.

"She's everything to me; I can't imagine life without her." He admitted. I gave him a knowing grin.

"And that's the way it should be," I finished quietly.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol it's not a prob I can appreciate your busy. How are the exams going? lol I wanted to defuse the situation with Sinclair a little so I thought why not have Thomas do something._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I can also appreciate that you're busy too. So I don't have a prob with you guys not reviewing. I was just having a whinge, lol tell me more about this Rockstar weekend. I am so jealous! I hope your head feels better soon. I do love to hate Sinclair. I love the whole thing with Thomas he's a sweet heart. The stalker situation is hard to mess with at the mo, but hopefully it will all come together in the end. Thanks for the review. _

_Daisyangel: I could so see her talking herself out of a job that's why I wrote the whole cut and run signal from Mac. It gets hard before it gets easier._

_Forest Angel: lol I wanted Thomas to bring some humour into the situation because she was having such a rough time and the last thing she needed was Sinclair. Lol Someone's unsettling them that's for sure. It's all up in the air towards why tho, you'll have to wait and see._

_Sparkycsi: lol it does hurt! It hurts when they pull your hair too the little demons. Lol I thought he'd try to be discreet with his laughter. I like Mac a bit more light hearted!_


	52. Chapter 52: A Little Bit of Girl Time

Chapter Fifty Two

_So now you pour your heart out  
You're telling me you're far out  
You're not about to lie down for your cause_

_The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way_

"I can not believe how good this feels," I spoke into the steamy room. The other women, also wrapped in towels, nodded their agreement. The sauna was flushing our skin red as we sat there. My eyes were closed as I leaned against the wooden panelling.

So far we'd been in the Jacuzzi, had a massage and were moving onto facemasks and beauty treatments after lunch. This was one of the best days I'd had in a long time. It was also the first time in a long time that all of us girls had a little time to get together and catch up with each other.

"This was definitely the best idea you've had Cory," Stella complimented the tone of her voice soothing and relaxed.

"We all needed a little time off, after everything lately," Cory reminded the rest of us. I heard murmurings of agreement from around the sauna.

"Are you confident about the trial?" Taylor asked from next to Stella. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, in this position I was finding it hard to get worked up about anything.

"I'm not sure…This isn't like before," I told her. "There's an actual threat here, it's gotten to trial and I'm wondering how far O'Brian plans to take it. I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost my career."

"You have a PhD right?" Gus asked. She was sitting on the other side of Stella.

"In Forensics and Criminal Psychology," I confirmed.

"My friend told me they're crying out for lecturers with experience at NYU. They've been looking for ages. Lecturing is always another option for you," Gus pointed out. I knew she was being helpful and she was right it was another option to consider.

"The position of Criminal Columnist is open at my paper too. You'd give that witch a hell of a challenge," Taylor chuckled. I frowned for a second trying to take in her words.

"Isn't that your job?" Gus asked perplexed. Taylor stood up to pull her towel tighter around her before settling down again.

"As of today I am officially unemployed. I quit yesterday when she tried to tell me I couldn't take the time off for the operation," Taylor shrugged. "I'd been thinking about doing it for a while now."

"But what will you do instead?" Cory asked, shaking her head at the antics of Taylor's boss.

Taylor shrugged.

"I have some savings and Matt said he doesn't mind having me as his kept woman for a little while," Taylor informed us.

I sniggered at the notion.

"At least you'll have time to plan the wedding," Stella remarked, her eyes resting on Taylor.

"True, we've already starting making plans. We're thinking a summer wedding, next year. Maybe in a hotel garden, not sure where yet. White or gold dress…It'll be a small thing I think. My family, you guys," she told us, smiling at the ideas in her mind.

"What about Matt's family?" Gus asked, brushing the blond hair off her forehead.

"Him and his Dad don't get on, Matt cut them off when he went into the Police Academy. He hasn't spoken to them in about ten years." Taylor said thoughtfully.

I pursed my lips, keeping my mouth shut. Matt had cut off his Dad and his Mom because he was sick of watching his Dad get away with hitting her. She never stepped forward and made a complaint against his father and Matt couldn't take that. His father had stopped hitting him when he got big enough to get into the football team.

"I think it's time to get out of here ladies," Gus stated, rising to her feet and yawning.

"I'm starving," Cory added as we began to rise from our various positions around the room.

Taylor pointed towards the exit grinning.

"To the banquet!"

-----------------------------

"Is it a bad thing I don't want to leave here ever?" I asked turning my head towards Cory as I took another bite of the fresh pancakes that I had coated with runny syrup and fresh strawberries.

Cory shook her head as I groaned upon taking another bite into the heavenly mixture.

"So how are things with you and Danny?" I asked, pausing from my delicious meal to take a sip from the mug of tea. Cory broke into a smile.

"We're good, things are going great. He brought a picnic basket into work the other day and lured me into the park for an hour to sit down and eat lunch. It was really sweet," she told me. I found myself grinning.

"You've turned him into a romantic!" I exclaimed.

Cory shrugged playfully. "I have that effect on men. It's the drawl."

I giggled before turning serious again.

"I'm glad you two made up, he really likes you, you know?" I said openly.

Cory looked down at her plate for a minute before I continued.

"I think you guys are made for each other. It's always good to know you've got someone there when things go a little insane," I stared off the distance thoughtfully.

"I don't know how I would have gotten through all of this without Flack. I felt like I was going to snap the other day and he managed to calm me right back down. I think it's important you have someone in your life that does that for you," I said wistfully.

Cory tilted her head, studying me.

"You've changed a lot since I first met you; you're all grown up," she said softly with a small smile.

"That's what happens when you start doing grown up stuff. Getting married and having a baby really put things in perspective for me," I admitted to her.

I looked down at my plate and began playing with my food.

"I never thanked you for staying with me when O'Reilly attacked me. It meant a lot that you stayed there and took care of me," I paused glancing around the table.

Everyone else was engaged in conversation, I turned back to Cory who was opening her mouth to say something. I cut her off.

"I know you organised this today, and it is exactly what I needed and I just wanted to say thank you," I reached over and drew her into an affectionate hug.

Cory looked speechless as I pulled away.

"Come on ladies, it's time for our facials," Stella's voice drifted over the table. I looked around at the other four women and thanked God I had friends like them.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: Poor Matt! I wish I could cuddle him! I may have Elena back at some point but I'm not sure, that's a maybe. Who knows._

_Bluehavan4220: High five on the end of exams! Blah I hate Maths, poor you doing 14 pages! I wanted to show a kind of relationship between Carmen and Matt because you never see them alone together._

_JoanneF: lol I love the Mr Potato Head thing. I was in stitches writing the new chapter I've just finished. Look out for chapter 57 when it comes around. I thought they needed some humour to break down the issues that were going on at the moment. I love Tay and Matt as a couple because their so opposite! Lol you'll find out soon enough._

_Sanghian: lol I had thought that you had forgotten. I'm glad your liking the story. Lol you'll have to wait and see, it all links back to something in the early chapters._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I don't blame you for being busy we all are at the mo. There's a lot going on storyline wise everything's coming to a head. Lol I nearly gave away a spoiler then because I thought we were further along with the story. Anyway you'll see what comes along._


	53. Chapter 53: Court Proceedings

Chapter Fifty Three

_The things, you say  
Your purple prose just gives you away  
The things, you say  
You're unbelievable_

_EMF – Unbelievable_

Stepping into that court room was terrifying. Matt's hand was on the small of my back as he helped lead me through the set of double doors, he lingered by my side protectively. I couldn't help but wonder if he still felt responsible for this due to his past with Dresden.

Flack hadn't come home this morning because his case was still on going and they'd caught a lead before he could get of the clock. He said he'd drop by as soon as he could.

I hadn't had a chance to tell him about the pictures yet. Flack was satisfied that Matt had decided to occupy me; he knew I was in good hands. Matt had a calming nature that Flack trusted.

I looked up as our footsteps echoed through the courtroom. It was a small hearing.

Ahead of us O'Brian and Dresden were settling onto one side of the court room. Lance was there already and waving to me with a friendly smile. I turned to Matt taking a deep breath. He rested his large hands on my shoulders, our eyes met as he gave me a determined look.

"This will all turn out fine," he told me, I could see the sincerity reflected in his hazel eyes. I nodded before he pulled me into a reassuring hug and then drifted to sit in the bench behind the desk we were sitting at.

Lance tugged my chair out for me; I thanked him before we seated ourselves. Judge Krauss was one I'd never had an experience with before, according to Lance he was fair and was before hand prepped about the up and coming trials. So apparently I was in good hands, yet this 'mystery evidence' was making me completely uneasy. I knew how bad the case looked.

The trial started with Dresden opening. I found myself watching him as he moved and spoke. He was compelling and interesting to watch. He called O'Brian to the stand where he told a riveting misinterpretation of events. It took all my self control not to climb to my feet and scream the word "liar" at him. Lance's reassuring hand on my arm made the difference.

I couldn't believe the lies he was telling up there.

"She made the moves on me and then claimed sexual harassment," he claimed, I wanted to smack that stupid look of his face as the words exited his mouth.

"Mr O'Brian we are not talking about that incident, now if you've said everything you need to say on the incident that occurred on March the Sixteenth then I think your testimony is over," Judge Krauss reprimanded.

O'Brian looked to Dresden who nodded and clambered off the stage. I watched him with disgust as he smirked in my direction.

"As you can see Detective Devine is in the wrong here, she let her prejudice of my client get in the way of her judgement. Even above the safety of her own son."

Lance's grip was strong as he pulled me back into my seat as I began to rise. Thankfully the judge's eyes were on Dresden.

"Take it easy, he's showboating, he's trying to gloat you into reacting," Lance whispered. I clenched my jaw and nodded to let him know I'd heard his words.

"Detective Devine has a history of violent outbursts, six years ago, she attacked Michael Vermont…" Judge Krauss interrupted Dresden's closing speech with a cough before speaking.

"That has no bearing with this case; it was ruled at the time as self defence," he told Dresden firmly. I watched with a sense of perverse pleasure as Dresden's face darkened.

"That will be all Your Honour," Dresden finished before retreating back to his seat alongside O'Brian. The two began to whisper ferociously as Lance was called to the bench. Clearly their main ploy was out of the window.

A T.V was rolled into the room. I stared at Lance confused. He shook his head as it was set up in front of the judge.

"Your Honour my client shouldn't even be on trial this morning; we have the tape from an ATM next to where Mr O'Brian claims the assault took place," Lance pressed play on the video. I watched the event unfold on the screen.

I turned my head towards the opposite table to see Dresden and O'Brian staring open mouthed at the video.

"Your Honour I object!"

"Overruled." Judge Krauss shot back as the video continued. O'Brian had tripped at this point; you could clearly see I wasn't touching him when he hit the car.

"I've seen enough," the judge stated as the video showed me cradling Thomas and attempting to calm him down whilst O'Brian was sitting head down in the back of my car.

"All rise." The small amount of people in the court room rose to their feet.

"Detective Devine?" I met Judge Krauss's gaze, my hands clasped in front of me tightly.

"All charges against you have been dropped, you will return to work in two days time." The breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding escaped me as the grin spread across my face. Relief filled me as I beamed at Lance next to me, who indicate that I keep my attention focused on the judge.

"Mr Marshall and Mr O'Brian, Detective Devine has exercised the right to bring charges of personal slander against you and personal damages, this will be settled out of court between your lawyers. That is all." Judge Krauss brought down the hammer and swiftly departed, leaving me bouncing up and down and enthusiastically thanking Lance for all his hard work.

Due to "mystery evidence" aka the ATM tape, the charges had been dismissed because there was clear evidence that I had been in the right. I found myself swept up in a bear hug of Matt's as he lifted me off the ground.

We broke apart grinning before the there of us began to walk towards the aisle that led to the exit.

"You bitch! You've ruined my life, this is going to leave me broke." I rounded on O'Brian as he bore down on me. His nostrils flaring, his fists scrunched up tightly in fury.

"At least keep a shred of dignity O'Brian. You did this to yourself and guess what? You've lost the respect of every single person who was backing you," I retorted.

I knew that there were members of the Vice Squad who had deemed me a manipulative cow.

Unfortunately for O'Brian that video had proved that it was the other way around, he'd lost the respect that those people had held for him.

"That video shows exactly what you are, a corrupt, washed out drunk…" O'Brian's hands were on my throat as he lunged at me. The extra body weight knocked me off my feet and onto my back.

My head hit the floor with a loud crack as my vision went fuzzy for a second. I couldn't breath and dizziness was making me disorientated. I felt my head it the floor a second time.

Suddenly the pressure on my throat and chest lifted. I took deep breaths staring at the ceiling for a second, trying to regain control. Matt's huge figure was struggling with O'Brian trying to restrain him.

"I swear to God you touch her again and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do." Matt snarled, shoving O'Brian towards the bailiffs.

"Christ are you ok?" Matt's voice was soft now I could hear the concern in it. Lance's worried face was looming over me.

"I'm ok…Just catching my breath," I told them as Lance helped me into a sitting position. Matt was crouching in front of me; he tipped my head back to get a look at my throat.

"You're going to have hand prints there. Looks like you'll be wearing a scarf for a while," he told me before moving around to look at the back of my head.

The bailiffs were dragging a raging O'Brian away as he struggled against them. Dresden's eyes were on us as he stood slightly apart from the scene.

Matt tipped my head forward so he could check the spot that had impacted with the floor.

"I was probably a little bit harsh," I muttered.

"He deserved it," Matt returned thoughtfully. "We probably ought to get Hawkes to take a look at it."

I nodded my response as he took my hand and helped me to my feet.

"I still feel really dizzy," I confessed, wobbling a little bit.

"You may have a concussion, your head made a horrible noise when it hit the ground," Lance said from my other side. Matt looped an arm around my waist to hold me steady as the room spun.

"Just lean on me a little and I'll get you to the lab," Matt offered softly. I did as I was told, and tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol I hope your better than you were last time we spoke. Lol I needed a nice little girly chapter, and I recalled she hadn't got a proper chance to thank Cory for what she did for her._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I had a girly sit in with my housemate the other night that was really cool. Lol your lucky we just get rain and no snow. I wish I could have a spar day too._

_JoanneF: I know I like to do little catch up bits to show what everyone else is up to. I rarely do the whole girly thing in the story so I thought I'd give it ago._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol it's no a prob I don't own the storyline and it is a normal kind of thing that can happen esp in that environment. _

_Maddy Bellows: lol I pmed you about the theoretical other universe so you'll find my reply there. I can't wait to see what your plot bunnies come with!_


	54. Chapter 54: Swings and Roundabouts

Chapter Fifty Four

_Even the best fall down sometime  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
You and I  
Collide_

_Howie Day – Collide_

Hawke's hands were gentle on my head, as they probed and felt under my hair.

"The good news is it's not fractured. I think it's probably the shock of your head hitting the floor that made you dizzy. There's a little bit of blood though so it maybe best for you to hold this compress there until it stops," Hawke's soothing voice told me as he pulled off the latex gloves and threw them into the bin.

We were inside his office; I was sitting on his chair, my hand resting on the back of my head holding a compress there whilst he leant on the edge of his desk looking at me.

"It could have been a lot worse; Matt said he was trying to throttle you." Hawkes peered at me over the top of his glasses. I rubbed the sore spot on the back of my head, before wincing and reapplying the compress.

"He did a good job too, until Matt managed to pull him off me. In all fairness, I probably shouldn't have aggravated the situation," I admitted.

"In all fairness, I think O'Brian had the intent to attack you in the first place. He was the one that started all this and we've seen what he's capable of… He needs some time in lock up, I know when he was fired Mac was fuming because Gerrard wouldn't let him push through the corruption charges he wanted to file against O'Brian," Hawkes informed me. I tilted my head up towards him.

"Now that was something I didn't know," I remarked thoughtfully. Hawkes bowed his head for a second.

"At least now you don't have to worry about him sending you anymore photographs," Hawkes said simply.

"What photographs?" a new voice piped up from the doorway. I cringed momentarily before turning my head towards Flack who was displaying a mix of anger and confusion.

"The pictures O'Brian sent Carmen…" Hawkes told him, before the looking from my grimace to Flack, who was now staring at me, his mouth open slightly in what I took to be disbelief.

"I'll leave you guys to talk," Hawkes said hastily before picking up some files and slipping out of the door past Flack.

Flack slammed the door before turning to face me hands on his hips.

I raised my eyes to meet his gaze hopefully. Flack narrowed his eyes, my expression turned sober.

"What photographs? What's Hawkes talking about?" Flack snapped, staring down at me in the chair.

"Can you just not start shouting? I have enough pain going on in my head without the addition of that." I returned before letting out a deep sigh.

"Tell me about this pictures you neglected to mention," he said in a lower tone, his eyes were still filled with icy blue fury.

"Last week, a manila envelope with my name on was in the mail you left on the table. I opened it to find pictures from the day you fended off the press when the whole O'Brian thing erupted. There were pictures of me, Thomas and Matt slipping through the back door and outside the apartment building. I turned them over to the lab so they could analyse them and find out who sent them," I explained before taking the compress from my head and staring down at the spots of blood on it.

"And it was O'Brian?"

"Well they're not sure, there was nothing on the envelope or the pictures to confirm that suspicion so we can't charge him with that, but he's going down for assaulting a police officer," I informed him, chucking the bloody compress at the little metal bin.

Flack pursed his lips together as he leaned against Hawkes desk and crossed his arms over his chest. I stood up and began pacing the room.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he growled, watching me. I shook my head.

"When was the last time I actually saw you for longer than ten minutes recently?" I pointed out. Flack bit his lip and looked away.

"Look, I know you're working your ass off doing the night shift and your working on something big, but you're not here right now. You haven't been here for me to tell things to and that was a conversation I would rather have had face to face," I told him edging closer. Flack's gaze was on his shoes.

"This night shift is killing me you know? I don't feel like I've seen you or Thomas for days now," Flack admitted.

I moved closer towards him. Flack raised his head, catching me wrinkling my nose. I backed away a step as he pulled a face.

"The guy ran through a sewer," he confirmed. The smell thankfully was confined to the small space surrounding him so it wasn't reeking out Hawkes office.

"I won the trial by the way," I told him putting my hand to my nose as I tried to get closer.

"Actually, that's what I came to ask you," he said, his hand clasping mine and pulling me close.

"Flack, you really stink," I stated trying to tug myself away. Flack's gaze slide to my throat and I knew what he was looking at.

"He do that to you?" he asked examining the marks gently with his fingers as I tried not to inhale the sewer stench.

"He's going to be locked up for a while," I reassured him before retreating back to the purer air on the other side of the room.

"So Detective are you off the clock yet?" I asked raising an eyebrow. Flack checked his watch.

"As of ten minutes ago…How about I whisk you home, we can crack open the bottle of bubbly I slipped into the fridge this morning and you can help wash this stink off me?" Flack implored holding open his arms with a suggestive wink.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Forever the **romantic,**" I giggled.

Flack rolled his eyes, before grabbing my hand and tugging me in the direction of the door so we could finally spend the first night in a long time together.

-------------------------------------

Danny was beaming when he opened the door to Cory.

"You heard the good news?" he exclaimed turning his back on her to grab his keys off the kitchen table and his jacket off the back of the chair.

"Carmen won the trial and O'Brian's going to jail for a long…" He turned to face her capturing a glimpse pf her expression whilst slipping his coat on.

"_Bella? _What's wrong?" Danny asked, placing his hands on her shoulders so he could get a proper look at her face. There were dark circles around her eyes and she looked worn down.

"I'm just tired that's all," she said trying to brush it off with a smile. Danny frowned at her concerned.

"Are you still having those nightmares?" he asked thoughtfully.

Cory drew a breath. "A few," she admitted grudgingly.

Danny studied her face, wishing that she would open up to him a little more. All she had told him was that she was having nightmares, but not what they were about. "Do you want to talk about it?" he said softly.

Cory shook her head, her eyes shadowed. "Not really, no."

Danny fought down a surge of annoyance, but knew that they were still rebuilding their relationship and even before the fight, she never really talked about the nightmares that she had. Sighing, he nodded his head as shrugged on his jacket. "Ready?"

Cory smiled, trying to stay strong, for as much as she wanted to tell Danny everything, part of her realized that by telling him, it made it real. "Let's go."

------------------------

Ray's was bustling with the usual evening crowd as Flack and I pushed our way through to the usual booth, our hands entwined so not to lose each other in the crowd.

As we arrived at our table Danny let out a loud cheer as Adam rose to his feet, embracing me. I stared at him confused but unable to stop grinning as he pulled away holding me at arms length.

"Thank God your coming back, Mac has been a tyrant to work under whilst you've been gone." He confided in a stage whisper. I patted the stubble on his ample cheek.

"Don't you worry I'll be back in a day or two to make sure he doesn't pick on you." I teased.

"How's your head doing?" Stella asked as I dropped into the seat next to her. I tilted it from side to side to prove that it was fine.

"After the dizziness wore off, it was fine, no headaches, nothing." I confirmed, suddenly finding a glass in my hand and Gus pouring lime green cocktail from a jug into my glass.

"I am so glad your back, this guy…" Gus elbowed Flack in the side causing him to yelp and growl at her.

"Has been an absolute nightmare to work with, I think one kid nearly pissed his pants in interrogation with him." She informed me. I turned my head to Flack, who slipped sheepishly from his drink.

"I was worried." He shrugged. I felt a small smile creep across my face as I sipped from the sweet alcoholic beverage.

"This is a great way to celebrate the end of a bad patch." I spoke my thoughts as I focused on the people who'd kept me steady and in control throughout the whole thing.

These were the people that truly cared, my family.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_MauradingKnight: lol Thanks for the review I'm glad you liked it. I wanted to show how mad O'Brian had become over everything that had passed between them. _

_ForestAngel: Not a prob, I do know that people are busy this time of year, hell I'm seven weeks away from graduating at the minute.(fingers crossed) Thank you for your review, it's really great that you can actually see what I write!_

_Daisyangel: aw, I hope you feel better real soon! Lol I've written up to 59 so your in no anger of running out for a little while, it just remains to be seen when I get time to put them up. I'm off next week so hopefully I can get a few more chapters written!_

_Sparkycsi: I'm glad you're at least little bit better! That chapter threw me for a curveball too; I was like what the hell? I love the fact O'Brian finally gets what he deserves I'd been dying to play with him since he got kicked off the force. Lol yet again I wish I had a matt!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol well O'Brian just can't let the whole thing go as you can see. Lol hope you recover well! I think I sent you some Gus related chapters too._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I was literally about to out this chapter up when I realized that you had just reviewed lol. Mystery evidence rules I wanted a clear thing to show that Carmen didn't do it and this was the best thing I came up with. Lol sorry if I got you into trouble!_


	55. Chapter 55: Overbearing

Chapter Fifty Five

  
_All night long I dream of the day  
When it comes around, and it's takin'away  
Leaves me with the feeling' that I fear the most  
Feel it come to life when I see your ghost _

Foo Fighters - All My Life

"Isn't someone like a bear with an angry head this morning," Flack teased, his lips brushing my forehead as I sat poised sipping coffee. 

Today was my first day back at work and Thomas had spent most of the night up crying because he was suffering from a horrible bout of flu. Flack had just come off his night shift and was now proceeding to butter a bagel.

"Thomas will probably sleep through the day as he spent the whole night up and yelling," I informed Flack wearily. He slid half of his bagel towards me and poured more coffee into my mug.

"Your gonna need more caffeine, the case load at the moment is through the roof," he stated, stifling his own yawn. I groaned as he pushed the mail he'd picked up towards me.

"Fantastic," I replied sarcastically, tearing the top of a manila envelope and tipping its contents upside down onto the table. Something shiny caught my eye as I looked down at the table. Flack's eyes were on it instantly as I reached out to touch it.

"Don't." The one word he uttered caused me to freeze.

My hand was hovering over the photograph. Flack slipped a pen out of his pocket and handed it to me, allowing me to prod the photograph around to face me.

The picture was of Matt and Taylor pausing outside a jeweller, both was clad in long coats. Tay's dark hair was loose in the wind. Despite her height she still had to stand on tiptoes to kiss Matt. The picture was one of utter bliss until I realized that the word 'cheater' was scrawled in thick black marker across the top of it.

"I think it's safe to say that it's not O'Brian," Flack said softly. He was leaning over my shoulder now and studying the letter with eagle eyed awareness.

"That makes it all the scarier," I agreed.

"Also who are they calling the cheater?" he asked. I twisted my head as he raised an eyebrow.

"If you think..." I began, narrowing my eyes at him. Flack held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Thought didn't even cross my mind, but the point is Princess, is that someone thinks that some body's playing away and what reason do they have to send you that?" Flack pointed out.

I left for work that morning with the exact same questions on my mind.

----------------------------

"He's definitely in lock up, there's no way he could have got this to you unless there was someone on the outside," Mac reasoned, thinking out loud.

I shook my head while pacing the length of his office.

"Flack doesn't think its O'Brian," I confided.

Mac took this in for a second.

"I think it's safe to presume he's right. It's clear that you and Matt are targets, but that's part of the problem, who is the sender trying to brand a cheater?" Stella asked from her position on my right.

I'd taken the envelope to Mac's office. It had been Stella who had done the forensic work on the last set of photographs; it was Stella who was going to be handling this with Mac looking over her shoulder.

"I've been hanging out a lot with Matt recently, Flack's been away at night and he's stayed over a few times," I told them uneasily.

"You think someone's branding you a cheater?" Mac asked, looking at me pointedly.

I shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine, it's pretty ambiguous," I stated crossing my arms over my chest.

"Either way you seem to have a stalker," Stella confirmed.

"And Flack's still working nights so it's just Carmen and Thomas," Mac explained to Stella.

They worked well as a team, I felt abstract or a minute as I watched them, heads buried together over the picture. It took me a moment to tune back in.

"I think she needs protection especially at night," I heard Stella telling Mac.

I stood on the opposite side of the desk frowning, hands on my hips.

"Hello...I'm still here." I broke into their conversation. Mac raised his head, his eyes meeting mine.

"We are aware of that." he straightened up before facing me head on."You need to look at this properly and rationally. Things have changed, you have a baby and your husband is away at night. Pictures have started arriving at your apartment and I know that Flack doesn't like the idea of you being alone, while this..." Mac poked the picture on the desk. "While this is going on."

Stella's arms were folded over her chest, her head bowed as Mac spoke.

"We don't know whose sending these photographs but it is obvious that you and Matt are being watched, it makes more sense for the two of you to stay together. Taylor is going into hospital tomorrow for further testing before the kidney operation," she finished.

"It's not fair to ask him to give up his time..." I started.

Mac held a hand up to silence me. He leaned over the desk, his gaze captured mine.

"Carmen, when you got the first set of pictures Matt agreed if anything came up we'd let him know if he could help. It would make me feel better knowing that you and Thomas were in safe hands," Mac said earnestly.

I glanced at Stella.

"Hey, I'll be visiting to. I haven't seen much of you or the monster recently," Stella returned grinning.

"If it makes you guys feel better..." I said with uncertainty.

"It will," Mac ended before picking up a case file off his desk and handing it to me."This is your new case, you're with Gus. Meet back here when your shift ends and either Stella or Matt will be waiting."

I let out a deep sigh as I nodded my agreement.I left Mac's office pouting and went in search of Gus.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol it's not a prob I used to be like that in school too, I used to read my Kelley Armstrong books behind my psychology text books in my A Levels. Lol you'll start seeing the effects of their jobs on their family soon. Thanks for taking the time to review._

_Maddy Bellows: Hope your recovering well! Lol I know even I'm worried about Cory, she has so much crap ahead of her. Aw, your words really made me smile. Thanks! Oh Don't forget to pm me!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol well we'll have to see what happens, they all have tough times ahead esp with everything that happens. Yet we do have some funny moments. Thanks for your reviews!_

_Sparkycsi: I hope your job let's up soon so you can take it easy! I think I did actually add the little bit at Ray's I was a moron and forgot to tell you where they were going. Thanks for getting those chapters back, it's not a prob with waiting so just take your time._


	56. Chapter 56: Stripagram

Chapter Fifty Six

_Kid rock and I'm the real Mccoy  
And I'm headin out west sucker..._

_because I wanna be a  
Cowboy baby  
With the top let back and the sunshine shinin  
Cowboy baby_

_Kid Rock – Cowboy_

I stood along side Gus, whose blond hair was flying around her head in the rapid wind that was plaguing the city. We were down at the docks, the morgue guys were doing their best to pull the bloated body of a female out of the river.

"Thought you were on shift last night?" I said to Gus as we watched for the safety of the shore.

Gus's arms were crossed over her chest as she shook her head.

"Angell was on last night so I could get a normal night's sleep before me and Taylor go in for testing tomorrow," she told me as she studied the scene in front of her.

"She's not wearing too many clothes especially for this weather," Gus stated pointing at the body, which was clad in a flimsy sheer bra that left nothing to the imagination and a black sheer thong that pretty much showed us everything. Add what looked like a genuine Stetson that was clinging by the drawstring to the Vic's throat and that was it.

"Probably a dump job," I put in my two cents before searching the ground around us.

"There's nothing to indicate that she was thrown into the water here." I recounted to Gus. We both turned to face the Manhattan skyline.

"So somewhere out there is our primary crime scene." She stated with a deep sigh.

"I'm afraid so."

--------------------------------------

The morgue was busy when Gus and I stepped off the elevator and onto the floor. I could see the different autopsies going on as we wove around gurneys and people.

"Hey Sid, how come there's so much going on here?" Gus drawled look around her.

"Last night, it appears ladies, was a crazy night. All these are separate cases, you were lucky yours got here first otherwise you'd be in a long line somewhere behind Danny and Stella. Even Hawkes is helping out with what he can." I followed his gaze, seeing Hawkes operating his way around a dead body on the slab. He gave us a little wave before continuing with his autopsy.

"So what do we have Doc?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest and turning my gaze back to the dead body in front of us.

Close up I saw her properly for the first time, she had platinum blond hair cut into a bob. She looked young, barely twenty one it would seem. Sid must have caught the look on my face.

"Barely older than one of my girls," he said shaking his head. I knew Sid had two daughters a year apart who were in college; one was studying medicine and the other quantum physics.

"Time of death was around two days ago in the early hours of the morning. COD was blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. It appears something struck her skull with an immense amount to force, there's a strange indent in the back of her head." He showed us a graphic image on the screen next to the metal table.

"Is that a star?" Gus asked as we studied the image.

"It would appear so. I also found this lodged in the wound too," He held up a tiny gem stone between his tweezers.

"Is that a diamond?" I asked peering at the shiny jewel.

"It would appear so, I've sent it up to the lab for confirmation along with some other bits and pieces," he informed us.

I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Around her eyes there were little red, white and blue stars. Also around her nipples."

"Colours of the American flag?" I questioned thoughtfully.

"It would seem so. There were also traces of semen in her pubic region; I've sent that up to DNA, it appears that sex was consensual but rough," Sid confirmed, undoing his glasses and refastening them around his neck. I nodded acknowledging his words.

"Have you got her clothes?" I asked Sid. He reached to the tray beside him and handed me the bag containing the evidence.

"Here's her prints," he said handing the paper to Gus.

"Thanks Doc." I gave Sid a small smile as Gus and I turned to leave.

"I'll run her through missing persons." Gus told me.

"I'll examine this; we'll meet when one of us gets something." I proposed. Gus nodded her agreement before we both went our separate ways.

-----------------------

The water had deteriorated whatever evidence I may have been able to get off the bra and thong. They came from a regular lingerie shop with a million outlets all **the** way through New York.

One thing I could be sure of was the fact the Vic was after a good time last night.

The Stetson was in fact the genuine article, not what I liked to call a New York knock off. I managed to pull off a blond hair that was a darker shade that the Vic's, unfortunately there was no hit in the database, just like there wasn't with the mystery semen.

The stars however were a little more useful; they had the chemical components for body glue stuck to the back of them, leaving me with a few options of what the Vic may have done for a living.

Gus found me before I had a chance to leave the lab. She slipped a piece of paper onto the desk in front of me.

"Our Vic is Victoria Kenyon; she was last seen in her place of work two days ago reported missing by her roommate. Her roommate says she never came home from work," Gus informed me.

"I have nothing besides some body glue on the Vic, and a stray hair. The DNA hasn't had a hit and I've run out of evidence," I told her gloomily.

"Victoria worked at a strip club; I'm thinking we should take a trip and talk to her boss," Gus recommended.

I was already slipping the lab coat off.

"I'm right behind you."

------------------------------

X In The City was open for business when Gus and I arrived there.

"Well this looks…" I searched for the word, raising my eyes to the pink neon pair of breasts that went from covered to uncovered in a manner of seconds on the sign.

"Tacky as hell," Gus slipped in disgusted. I nodded my agreement before we both headed through the door.

"Wow…" Gus murmured as the woman in front of us twirled around the pole, both feet off the ground.

"It's not that hard," the words slipped out of my mouth without thinking. Gus's gaze swung to me as I cringed.

"I was in a group called the Suicide Girls for a few weeks; Strip Aerobics was one of the things they started to teach us," I explained sheepishly.

"I can see why Flack married you," She replied playfully as we watched the girl for a few more minutes.

"And here was me thinking it was for my stunning intellect and sharp wit," I shot back. Gus smirked at me, patting my arm gently.

"I'm sure that's part of it too." she laughed. Both of us tilted our heads to the left following the dancer's descent upside down along the pole.

"Can you…" Gus began her expression one of slight amazement.

"Nope, that's definitely not something I could do."

We straightened our heads as the dancer flung her bra into the audience of men that were wedged right up against the podium. Gus looked at me trying to suppress her laughter.

"Nor that," I returned her grin.

"Can I help you ladies?" I bit my lip to stifle the hysterical laughter that was brimming inside me.

In front of us was a woman clad in the PVC porn version of a police woman's outfit. Fluffy handcuffs were attached to her belt; her dark eyes were on us. I could tell Gus was having trouble trying to keep her face straight as she flashed her badge and handed the woman the picture to look at.

All fun evaporated from the situation as the woman's face crumbled in horror.

"This is Victoria," she gasped.

In seconds we were being led through the backrooms and into the dressing rooms by the stripper who turned out to be called Jenny Littler.

"I'm the owner of this place," she told us as she wiped at her streaked mascara.

"I'm the hostess while the girls dance; I make sure they're treated fairly. I can't believe that Victoria's gone." She shook he head, blowing her nose on a tissue she'd gotten from the box in front of her.

"I thought she was sick when she didn't come in," she told us, her huge blue eyes brimming with tears again.

"Can you tell us when you last saw Victoria?" Gus asked in a low tone.

"It was two days ago, she was getting ready to go to a private party." Jenny must have caught the frown on my features.

"Some of the girls do private parties to get a bit of extra cash; it's usually with minor celebrities or some of the rich and famous."

"What does a private party usually entail?" Gus asked suspicious.

"The girls strip for a selective audience, sometimes clients request two girls or three depends how big the party is." Jenny sounded pretty confident nothing else was going on at these private parties.

"Whose private party was Victoria going to?" I asked thoughtfully. Jenny frowned for a moment before excusing herself to go get the appointment book.

"Hey I think we found the reason for those stars, you seen Victoria's act?" Gus nudged me pointing to a picture above one of the work stations.

It was of Victoria wound around a pole clad in American Flag style leather pants and bra. The edges of her eyes were decorated with the tiny stars Sid had pulled off her.

"The American Dream," I read out loud. It was scrawled across the top.

Below the picture was a desk littered with other photographs in frames.

"I guess even strippers have a home away from home." Gus remarked picking up one of the photographs and looking at it.

Jenny was back with the appointment book. As Gus set the photograph down.

"She was booked with Robert James Ritchie." I frowned as something niggled in my brain.

"Why do I know that name?" I said out loud, trying to trace back why it was familiar.

"He's Kid Rock," Jenny was the one that answered. I stared at her for a second.

"You know how long he's in town for?" I asked seriously.

"I think he has a week of shows." Jenny replied as I glanced at Gus.

It wasn't until we left the premises that I spoke.

"Death seems to follow Kid Rock around," I commented before Gus started the engine and drove us back to the station.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: I hoped my email helped you! Lol I'm not sure how far I'm taking that storyline, to be honest that convo started as a random thing so she could find out who Flack was working on and then it spiralled out of control, I do plan to use t somehow, I'm just not sure how yet. Lol Carmen has got it hard esp with the chapter I wrote, Flack is so going to get it in the neck! Thanks for the review._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: Hope you had a great debate. Lol you'll find out soon enough who it is doing all the sending and more. But beforehand you get a bit of Carmen and Gus action and a little bit of humour._

_Bluehavan4220: I'll confirm it's definitely not O'Brian but as to who it is you'll have to wait and see, I think you'll be surprised._

_Sparkycsi: High five to good bonus's I have my fingers crossed for you. I'm glad you liked those pics last night, I saw Danny on the Harley and thought of you! Hope you had a nice sleep!_

_JoanneF: lol it' a surprise so you'll have to wait and see what happens. I can safely say it's not O'Brian as he would have no access to anything like that. Thanks for the review._


	57. Chapter 57: The Hilarity of The Job

Chapter Fifty Seven

_And this is for the questions that don't have any answers  
The midnight glances and the topless dancers  
The candid freaks, cars packed with speakers  
The G's with the forties and the chicks with beepers_

_Kid Rock – Bawitdaba_

"This dressing room is bigger than Mac's office," I remarked, peering at our surroundings.

It took a couple of flashes of the badge to get us this far. Kid's bodyguard had led us to wait in his dressing room, which looked like some sort of patriotic freak show.

"Our Vic would have fit right in here," Gus muttered, eyeing the red, white and blue themed room with animosity.

"It even has a freaking bed in it, too," she exclaimed as we both stared at the black satin sheets. The champagne bottle and ice bucket perched next to it.

"Someone's expecting company," I commented rolling my eyes.

The door flew open as the man himself took centre stage in the room. He closed the door swiftly behind him. We turned to face Kid Rock, Gus's hands her on her hips as she looked him up and down. A look Kid Rock was obviously not used to getting.

"I take it you're the dominant one?" he grinned at her as he strode towards us and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Gus frowned at him unfazed.

"Hell, you're not what I expected, but you have one mighty fine rack," he told Gus's chest. His gaze swung to me.

"And your ass," he whistled. "I am so going to tap that."

I stared at him mouth open, Gus seemed equally as surprised. Kid began to unbutton his pants.

"Start undressing each other ladies, I want to see your hands everywhere," he demanded.

It was Gus's snort that set off the grin that was threatening to spread over my face.

"Do you want to tell him or should I?" she asked me smirking as she turned her head to me.

I folded my arms over my chest trying to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up inside me due to the expression on Kid's face.

"I'll let you do it," I returned. "You have the next two months off work; you're going to miss incidents like this. You show him."

We turned our attention back to Kid who was staring up at us with an expression of utter horror on his face.

"You two can not be guys?!" he gulped, zipping his pants up quickly.

"Hell no, even better we're cops." Gus said, flicking her suit jacket open and flashing him the badge.

Kid was on his feet in an instant.

"They really did send two of New York's finest," he stated leering at us both.

"Quit the chatter Kid, take a look at this picture, and tell us when you last saw this woman," I growled shoving the picture into his hands.

Kid glanced at it before he handed it back to me.

"Haven't seen her before," he told us, moving over to the open bottle of champagne and pouring himself a glass.

"That's funny because her boss tells us she was coming to a private party here in your dressing room and I'm sure if we check out this room we're going to find evidence of her!" Gus snarled.

Kid Rock had a reputation for being a hard ass, but when Gus snapped at him he actually flinched. He put his hands up in surrender.

"Ok…She was here in the room; she put on a little private show for me and my boys." Kid looked uneasy for a second.

"But I didn't party with her afterwards I went back to my hotel alone and took a cold shower," he informed us sheepishly. I arched my eyebrows.

"You expect us to believe that?" Gus asked rapping her fingers impatiently in her arm.

"I'm serious," he told her. He let out a small sigh before taking something off the nightstand and tossing it to her, Gus read the label.

"I've been taking these pills for insomnia; one of the side effects sometimes is not being able to get it up. That's what happened the other night. That babe was all over me, she had the perfect everything, I was hot as hell, but nothing was happening with Little Kid." I bit my lip to stop myself from sniggering at the nickname; thankfully Kid's attention was solely on Gus.

"So I left early and went back to the hotel and left her here with the guys." Kid shrugged, taking another sip of the champagne.

"So how were you intending to engage in sexual activity tonight?" I asked curiously, seeing a hole in this story.

Kid went back over to his bed side and tossed me another bottle of pills. I studied the label.

Viagra.

"I'm going to need the names of everyone who was in the room that night and I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving Detective Devine your finger prints and a DNA test," Gus told him menacingly.

"Go for it."

I tossed the tablets back to Kid and slipped my gloves on before taking out a fresh swab.

"Open your mouth wide," I told him, peering into his mouth and taking a cheek swab. I stepped back and began to put away my kit. Kid was reeling a list of names off for Gus of the gentlemen who'd been in the company of the stripper.

I glanced up at them both after closing my kit. I had to turn my face away to stop myself from laughing out loud.

It would appear that Kid had already popped a Viagra before entering the room, thinking he was getting some hot girl on girl action. Apparently Little Kid had decided it was time to make an appearance and let's put it this way Kid's pants weren't exactly loose.

I cleared my throat and struggled to keep my face straight as I turned to face Gus, who turned her back on Kid , the edges of her lips twitching as she struggled with her own hysterics.

"Thank you for your time," I uttered before turning on my heel and pacing quickly for the door, Gus two steps behind me.

We managed to make it to the car before erupting into hilarious gales of laughter.

"I can not believe that any of that just happened," I giggled, clutching my sides from laughing so hard.

Gus was wiping at her eyes, still unable to stop laughing.

"I am so gonna miss this kind of stuff," she told me as we climbed into the car and began our journey back to the lab.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I love the relationship they both have, they just bounce off each other. I'm glad to see your up and posting. Gus makes me laugh all the time! Lol my bunnies went crazy and now there's an even bigger storyline coming about too, I have no idea how it happened but we'll see how it goes._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol high five about the speech! I wanted a funny few chapters to take the heat of everyone for a little while. I had a laugh writing this one._

_Daisyangel: I'm glad your better! Lol I'm not going to tell you or it would ruin what's up ahead._

_Sparkycsi: lol I got the surprise from hell this morning, my mother who I haven't seen in 3-4 years text to say she's in the neighbourhood and do I want to meet up on Wed. So that was not a nice thing to wake up to. Not sure what the hell I'm going to do about it yet, but I'm sure I'll figure something. I really enjoyed writing this case because I wanted another little guest appearance from Kid Rock!_


	58. Chapter 58: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Chapter Fifty Eight

_I cross my heart and promise to_

_Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true._

_In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine._

_George Strait – I Cross My Heart_

Danny paced nervously in the lobby of the FBI building, waiting for Cory to show up. He checked his watch for the fifth time and reached to grab his phone when he heard her behind him.

"Danny! I'm so sorry. I got caught up in a conference call with Dallas. They had some questions about Mala Suerte," she said as she quickly kissed his cheek. "I finally got them to hang up. I mean, come on, they have all of my case files and I spent all of that time I was down there making sure that they knew everything."

Danny smiled, sensing that she was frustrated and stressed out. "It's okay." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the building. "I've got the perfect thing planned."

"Really? What?"

Danny smirked. "It's a surprise."

Cory looked at him, noticing that he looked as tired as she felt. "Busy day?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. I think there was a full moon or something last night. It was so busy that Hawkes was doing autopsies. Mac finally made me go home. I've been on for sixteen hours."

"And you wanted to take me out? Are you crazy? I'd been at home in bed," Cory asked shocked.

"I miss seeing you," Danny admitted as he parked in front of his building. _Plus, I want to see if you will open up to me about your nightmares,_ he said to himself. He walked to the other side of the car and quickly opened the door for her.

Cory grinned. "See. I've turned you into a gentleman!" she said trying to suppress her laughter.

Danny just rolled his eyes as they walked up to his door. When they walked into the apartment, Cory sniffed appreciatively.

Danny led her to the table, set with his best dishes and with a wine bottle vase and a pair of white candles. Cory just looked at him in amazement. "Wow," she said breathlessly.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Danny said cockily, as he opened his over with a flourish and pulled out two plates that had been warming. One had Chicken Alfredo and the other Shrimp Scampi.

"Frankie," Cory said with a knowing smile. Frankie was an old friend of Danny's, he jokingly said that she's the reason that he didn't follow in his family's footsteps. She was the owner of _Francesca's, _the sight of their first date.

Danny nodded as he set the Alfredo in front of her. "Yeah. I called her up and before I could say please, she said she'd have it waiting for me."

Cory laughed and took a bite. Her eyes closed in pleasure. "Oh my God. This is fabulous."

Danny smiled as he watched her expression, and he too began to eat.

A little while later, both were feeling very mellow from the wine and the good food. They were sitting on the couch, watching the end of _Twister_ and Danny was lightly rubbing her shoulders. "_Bella?_ Do you want to talk about your dreams yet?"

Cory rolled her head back to look up at him. "Not really, but I think that they are visions of the future. And somehow I'm supposed to stop whatever's going to happen."

Danny pulled her into his embrace, her back flush with his chest. "I'm sorry. Is it bad?" he murmured into her ear.

Cory relaxed into his arms and nodded lightly. "Yeah. It's pretty bad," she said as she yawned. "Lord, I'm tired."

Danny smiled. "Me, too. Why don't you stay over? I'm sure that there are still some of your clothes here and you can always sleep in my NYPD shirt. It looks better on you anyway."

Cory nodded, too tired to argue. "All right. I'm exhausted. I think it's a good idea."

Danny got up and while she walked to the bathroom, so she could take a shower, he walked into his room and grabbed his NYPD shirt from his dresser so he could give it to her. He lightly knocked on the bathroom door and handed her the shirt and a clean towel. "Here ya go," he said before turning to get changed into his pyjamas.

Fifteen minutes later, he was almost asleep when he felt her crawl into bed with him. He smiled sleepily as he drew her into his arms, marvelling about how right it felt. "G'night, _bella,_" he whispered.

Cory snuggled closer into him, feeling at peace for the first time in months. "Goodnight, _chere,_" she whispered back as she felt sleep rushing up to claim her.

----------------------------------

The room was devoid of people, all except for Sid who was standing next to the gurney, a sheet covered the body lying on top of it. Cory felt her chest tighten. Her head snapped up as the door opened revealing a soot covered Carmen, Adam followed closely behind her, his hand rested on her back as if to support her.

Carmen's jaw was clenched firmly. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the body lying in front of her. Cory clamped her hand over her mouth as Carmen came to a halt next to her. She could hear Carmen's breath heavy and quick as she nodded at Sid. He pulled back the sheet gently to the shoulders.

Donald Flack Junior looked like he was sleeping. Cory felt her heart wrench as the breath rushed out of her.

Beside her Carmen choked. Her hand was over her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs that were wracking her body. Cory reached out to comfort her and felt nothing but empty air as her hand passed through Carmen.

"No…" Carmen cried out loud. "Please God no…"

It was Adam that managed to catch Carmen as her knees buckled. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, rocking her as she wept openly, clearly a broken woman.

Cory's eyes rose to Adam's face as he sniffed, he turned his face away from the body, tears rolling down his ample cheeks.

Sid was covering Flack back up again.

"I am so sorry," he told her earnestly, his own voice thick. Carmen let out another heart breaking sob, her breathing coming in shallow bursts as Armando took hold of Cory's hand yet again and they arrived back in Limbo.

Cory wiped her eyes, trying to calm back down. "Okay, Armando, I get how serious this is. Just tell me how to stop it!" she pleaded.

"I can't, but this is affecting a huge amount of people. How many criminals will go free with Flack's death? There is a reason that you are seeing each and every vision. My suggestion is that you talk them over with someone. Maybe Danny." He paused. "Look, I know you and Danny have had a rough time, but I think he might be able to help you."

Cory nodded as she watched Armando fade away.

----------------------------------

Danny awoke to a whimper. As he struggled to open his eyes, his arms tightened around Cory automatically, sensing her distress. _"Bella?_ Come on, Cory. Wake up, sweetheart," he murmured over and over until she awoke crying.

"Oh, God," she said shaking, taking comfort in Danny's arms around her.

"Shhh. It's okay; I've got ya," Danny said running his hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her some more. "Ya wanna talk about it?"

Cory lifting her face, so she could look him in the eyes. Seeing nothing but love and concern shining in them, the last barrier shattered and in a sombre voice she started with the first vision.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol it made me laugh writing it, I had no idea where it came from, but I thought that Kid Rock wouldn't let a little thing like that stop him. I wanted something to give Gus a nice send off before the op! I have plenty written and a mystery storyline coming up so stay tuned._

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for getting all that stuff back to me, I think I can go on with 64, my bunnies are going crazy. Lol That song is freaking addictive!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol well there's a lot of darkness up and coming, so a bit of light humour in this retrospect is a good thing. Lol I don't know what I'd do in that situation, probably try not o look._

_Daisyangel: lol Thanks for the review! It had me chuckling too._

_Maddy Bellows: lol the bunnies went crazy as you will see in a few chapters time, it all started off with me getting a random name in my head and then went nuts! Lol I love the relationship Carmen and Gus have because they're both bad asses when it comes to the criminals and they bounce off each other. Your reviews are always really sweet. Thank you!_


	59. Chapter 59: Tell Tale

Chapter Fifty Nine

_Help me out, I need it  
I don't feel like touching her no more  
Help me out, I need it  
I don't feel like fucking her no more  
Well how did it happen_

_The Killers – All The Pretty __Faces_

"So after checking out the list of names that Kid gave us I discovered all except one of his body guards have priors, mainly assault charges," Gus informed me amongst the hustle and bustle of the station house.

We were sitting across form each other at Gus's desk. I was biting into my hot dog with renewed relish, while Gus's lay solitary next to her files. Gus pointed a huge tattooed guy who reminded me of a biker.

"Tobias Hawthorn was the last one to see the vic alive according to the other bodyguards. After Kid left they followed suit and left Hawthorn and Victoria to chat," Gus finished, leaning back on her chair.

"So it looks like he's our new suspect. Let's go bring him in," I said chewing my hot dog faster now.

"He's already on his way in," Gus told me with a tired smile. I eyed her untouched hotdog thoughtfully.

"You should probably eat something you know. Keep your strength up," I encouraged her by also sliding the fries I'd bought towards her for her to pick at if the hot dog was too much.

Gus lowered her tone as she leaned towards me and took a fry.

"The cancer just makes things a little harder. I have to force myself to eat sometimes because of the effects of the treatment, and to be honest I'm not sleeping too great," she said softly.

That much was evident, despite the careful make up if you looked closely you could see that Gus was a woman with a lot on her mind. I reached out for her hand and touched it gently.

"I know it's really hard for you to trust people especially after everything you've been through but we're here for you, at any time day or night, all you have to do is call. There's going to be one of us with you every step of the way I promise," I said gently.

Gus gave me a strained smile before dropping her voice again.

"Look I've been thinking about this and I want you to know if you have a problem with Flack spending so much time with me, let me know…" I held up my hand interrupting her and shaking my head.

"I have no problem at all," I told her honestly. "I'm just really glad you've got someone who you're willing to let in. I'd be a lot more worried if he didn't want to be there."

Gus looked as if she was letting out a sigh of relief before she continued.

"I know there's a few rumours about us especially because I was helping out so much when you were undercover but I can promise you that there's no truth behind them whatsoever," she said forcefully. I grinned at her and her aggressiveness towards office gossip.

"I never thought there was. You should hear the ones going on about me and Matt," I stated, taking another fry. Gus rolled her eyes.

"I've been hearing those, people see you leaving together and that's what they think. I'm telling you Matt's been getting a bit of stick about it but he's handling it," Gus shared sympathetically. She knew what it was like to be the subject of gossip especially in this place.

"Unfortunately because Flack's not there at night, I'm being forced to have Matt with me as overnight protection. I think their taking it far too seriously," I dipped my fry into some ketchup before raising it to my mouth.

"I think your underestimating the threats Flack's been getting," Gus told me straight. I stopped mid bite and stared at her.

"Flack's been getting threats?" I felt my jaw tense. That hypocritical….

"I take it he hasn't mentioned that?" Gus asked uneasily. I shook my head, feeling my eyes narrow.

"It seemed to have slipped his mind. Does Mac know about these threats?" I asked her raising an eyebrow. I could see that Gus was conflicted.

"He probably thought he was protecting you," Gus tried to smooth things over. I clenched my fists tightly, rising to my feet.

"He's the one that's going to need protecting when I get a hold of him," I growled searching for any sign of Flack over the head's of all the other detectives.

"Carmen, sit down," Gus hissed. I stared at her for a second as she shot me a warning glare. I dropped into my seat narrowing my eyes at her.

"Hey, don't blame me, I had nothing to do with this, this is all Flack's been doing, he's been edging me out too. If it wasn't for me bullying my way with Sinclair I'd be back on dayshift." I could see she was angry with Flack too, although she seemed to be a little more understanding than I was.

"He tried to take you off the case?" I exclaimed. Gus nodded; I saw the rage in her eyes at the thought of this.

"I told him where to shove it; I wanted to be watching his back with this one," Gus said fiercely. I was glad that Flack had someone like her watching his back but I needed more insight right now. If Flack was trying to shove Gus away something big was going down.

"Who's he trying to take down?" I muttered. "Let me guess, it's someone big isn't it? Which would explain why he's been so secretive about it lately."

Looking back, Flack had managed to avoid any questions I'd had about the case he was working on. I'd been too preoccupied with the O'Brian trial to really pick up on it.

Gus bit her lip for a second before looking away. I knew she felt like she was betraying Flack but I had to know.

"Lucinda Garvey."

"Why do I know that name?" I asked her frowning, trying to recall where I'd it.

"She's the new head of the Corleone Family. She was married to Vito Corleone, found out he was cheating and gave him a very unsavoury death…They found his genitalia in his mouth." I raised my eyebrows as she continued.

"Obviously the rest of the family wasn't too happy to have a new head, especially one that was married in, female and not Sicilian, so she taught them a lesson too. It was pretty much a slaughterhouse we ended up going to that night." She shuddered at the memory.

"She took out the all the objectors at Sal's eightieth including Sal himself." I was starring at Gus open mouthed as she filled me in.

"She's also responsible for several gang related deaths outside of the Mob, people who have tried to undercut her in business."

Gus was staring at me now a grim expression on her face. I was silent for a moment unsure how of what to say.

"The threats?" I asked.

"Veiled ones at the moment, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you see it Lucinda Garvey has taken a liking to Flack. She says he reminds her of her first husband, says he's giving her the best run around she's had in years. Last time they had a confrontation, she mentioned how sad she was to hear what had happened to you with O'Reilly and told Flack to keep a good eye on both you and Thomas just in case, as she put it, life threw another curveball."

Cogs were turning in my head now, I met Gus's gaze.

"Do you think it's her sending the photographs?" I asked Gus, feeling a deep sick feeling rise inside me. Gus shrugged.

"No one's too sure, but I'll be honest with you, nobody's sure what the hell she's capable of," Gus answered honestly.

Not for the first time since Thomas had been born I began to contemplate how safe we really were from the criminals we sought to put away.

---------------------------

Unfortunately, throttling Flack would have to wait as Gus's pager had gone off informing us that our suspect had arrived.

Tobias Hawthorne hunched in the thing metal chair, his eyes resting on the two of us sitting on the opposite side of the interrogation table. According to his file he was an ex boxer. His head was shaved and there were tribal tattoos swirling ups his chest peeking over the collar of his wife beater.

"You recognize this woman?" Gus was the first to speak since we entered the room. Her steely stare was on Tobias intently.

"She was the stripper from the other night," he grunted before thrusting the picture back towards Gus. Something glinted in the dim light; it drew my attention to his ring.

"How much did your ring cost? That's some pretty expensive bling you've got on there," I remarked staring are the diamond studded, star shaped accessory.

Tobias stretched out his hand for me to admire his handiwork.

"I got it after my first pay check came in for Kid's first major gig over here. I designed it myself and had a jeweller make it. You like it?" he asked raising his dark eyes to my face.

Pride was a terrible thing, and Tobias's had just given us all the evidence we needed to convict.

"Did Victoria Kenyon like it?" Gus barked, pushing the picture of the indent in the back of the Vic's head towards Tobias.

"That could be anything…" Gus cut him off going for the kill.

"We found this diamond also in the back of her head, and looking at the amount that's meant to be in your ring I'd say you're missing one," she pointed out. Gus was on her feet now, slamming her hands on the desk. Hell I almost flinched as she did it.

"So it's pretty clear that you punched Victoria Kenyon in the back of the head, which just so happens to be her cause of death, what happened? She tell you she wasn't going to give you a private show so you decided to teach her a lesson?" Gus paused for a second as if something had just occurred to her.

"Or did she give you a little one and one?" Gus said leaning over the bulky figure of Tobias.

"You knew Victoria before that night didn't you?" Gus asked. I kept my face passive wondering where she was getting this from. Gus was pacing the length of the room now.

"You were with her the night she died, weren't you? There's a picture on her worktable of the two of you. You just have been together a long time if she had that, yet I'm guessing she lied to you about her job though." I watched as Tobias's fists clenched tightly on the table.

"It must have been a surprise seeing her turn up at Kid's dressing room." She paused, leaning against the wall next to the one sided mirror.

The sentence was hanging in the air.

"She lied to me. She told me she was a lawyer and then I come into the room late after getting rid of some groupie and she's practically sucking his cock." Tobias was on his feet suddenly snarling.

I propelled myself backwards in my chair, my eyes intently waiting to see if he turned violent. Tobias bowed his head.

"The only reason he didn't screw her that night was because he couldn't get it up. I dated her for six months and she was screwing other guys for money behind my back, so I put a stop to it," he told us shaking his head.

"Put your hands behind your back," Gus ordered, treading towards Tobias.

He did as he was told, letting Gus clip the handcuffs on his wrists before we both marched him out.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol if I didn't throw surprises at you the story wouldn't be fun. You'll have to wait and see. There's also a few more visions to come._

_Maddy Bellows: lol so am I, I couldn't wait for their relationship to get back on track so she could open up to someone. Lol You know how these visions are they get worse before they get better._

_Sanghian: Doesn't mean that he won't tho. It gets worse for everyone. Thanks for your review._

_Bluehavan4220: lol It's a vision, and we're back to reality for a while before you get you see what happens next. Saying that there's a lot going on in their real lives too!_

_Sparkycsi: I did too, I was like what's next, oh! Thanks for the thing on ch64. I started chapter 65 last night, but my partner in crime was here so I didn't get to finish it but you should be getting it tonight, I've written some on paper to see how it plays out but we'll have to see when I type it up. Lol did you get to sleep last night?_


	60. Chapter 60: Venting

Chapter Sixty

_I promise I'm not trying _

_To make your life harder,_

_Or return to where we were_

_Dido – White Flag_

"Are you ok? You've been quiet ever since we left the station." Matt glanced along side at me as I bent my head chopping peppers to go in the stir-fry he was cooking for dinner.

"Peachy," I replied, not looking up from the knife cutting across the chopping board.

"I do know that's girl code for your not fine. You're forgetting I did have a sister," he informed me. I let out a deep sigh before we both turned to face each other.

My wavy auburn hair was pulled back in a messy bun as I pushed the stray strands away from my face.

"Shouldn't you be with Taylor tonight?" I questioned one hand on my hip.

Matt rolled his eyes.

"Taylor insisted that I stay here, she'd murder me if I did otherwise. You may as well tell me what's bothering you," he reasoned.

Gus's words were spinning around my head again giving me a renewed sense of anger. I slammed the knife down against the chopping board before turning to face Matt.

"You really wanna know what's wrong?" I demanded. Matt's hazel eyes were on me, not alarmed as I expected them to be but calm and understanding. He could sense that I was frustrated.

"I haven't seen my husband for a period of time over ten minutes in almost two weeks! Between him and Mac I feel like I'm being mollycoddled to death because both of them seemed to have forgotten to mention that Don, for God knows what reason has decided to take down the Head of one of New York's Five Families. I am going to strangle the living hell out of him when I get hold on him for letting me feel guilty because I didn't tell him about those damn photographs." I paused to take a breath, feeling flustered; the anger was seeping out of me as I moved onto the most minor but also meaningful of my frustrations. "And on top of that I promised Thomas I'd take him the Carnival that's in town and its got one day left on it and unfortunately for me, every single citizen in the Land of Crazy has decided to venture outside and commit crimes, so I'm snowed under."

I bit my lip and shook my head, getting a grip on myself and taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to vent on you," I murmured, rubbing my tired eyes.

Matt shrugged before picking up the chopping board and tipping the peppers into the pan along with the chicken and black bean sauce.

"It's tough for you at the minute," he said simply.

"I just feel…" I raised my eyes to meet his. "Like everyone's trying to protect me, they seem to be forgetting that I've been a cop the majority of my life and I can pretty much fend for myself."

Matt was stirring the contents of the pan now, his focus on me.

"You seem to be forgetting that it wasn't too long ago that we thought we'd lost you. I mean, when I found you in that room…" Matt looked away, closing his eyes. I knew the memory still haunted him as it haunted me.

"I'd never felt as helpless as I felt when I saw you. I mean Carmen…" He shook his head. "It scared the hell out of me. I mean we walk through life doing our job and feeling invulnerable but when I saw what happened to you, it just showed me that just because you carry a badge and a gun doesn't mean that you can't get hurt. Flack and Mac mean well, but I think their scared too. You guys have a family to worry about now and it changes your perspective on things."

Matt was taking plates out of the cupboards as Thomas toddled out of his room and reached for me.

"Mama," he called out reaching his small arms out to me. I scooped him up, and kissed his soft dark hair gently as he stuck his fist in his mouth and he watched Matt dish out the meal.

"I wouldn't change it for the world, it's just a shame I'm not taking you to see the clowns tomorrow," I told Thomas jiggling him up and down.

"I could take him if you wanted," Matt said as I followed him to the dining room table and set Thomas in his high chair.

"Are you sure?" I asked turning to face Matt who set a plate in front of me as I dropped into my seat.

"I've got the day off tomorrow; I'm going to see Taylor in the evening so I'm free anytime before then," he told me, as we both began to eat. I watched Thomas carefully it of the corner of my eye. For some reason as of late he'd developed a habit of dropping things on the floor, when he thought I wasn't looking.

"I'll take him the carnival while you're at work and then drop him off at the stationhouse so you can bring him back with you if that's ok?" Matt asked raising his eyes to meet mine.

"Are you sure that's ok?" I pondered a little unsure.

"It'll be no problem, we'll have a great time won't we buddy?" Matt smiled at Thomas from across the table.

"Clow!" Tomas rose his arms up in the air beaming.

I turned my head back to Matt with a grateful grin.

"I think that's a yes thank you so much. He really seems to love clowns; I think it's all the colours," I told Matt.

"Good thing I'm not scared of them then," Matt said playfully.

Both our heads turned as we heard the sound of plastic hit laminate.

"And that would be Thomas, making a mess for mommy to clear up," I remarked with a tiny grin.

Matt was already on his feet and hoisting Thomas from the high chair.

"Do you want to bathe him while I clean that up?" he offered.

"You really are a gentleman." I giggled before taking Thomas from Matt's hands and carrying him into the bathroom to spend a little more quality time with my son.

_**READ SPAXAPH'S GOTHAM'S HEROES!!!**_

_Bluehavan4220: You'll find out why he didn't tell her in a few chapters lol. You have to remember all she's been through since they got together._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: you'll have to wait until the chapter after next. Unfortunately something happens to make Carmen explode at Flack!_

_Forest Angel: lol I love the way they are together it makes me grin at how easily it flows between them. Lol you'll be waiting another chapter before the fireworks really begin._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I believe that is the end of your previews too, though there will be a few coming up, once I get past a few things in the next few chapters. Lol it'll be fun not knowing what's next. Thanks for the review._

_Sparkycsi: GAH I'd lose my temper if I worked that long! I think that's an awesome title I can't wait to read more I was really getting into the chapters you sent me!_


	61. Chapter 61: A Change of Plan

Chapter Sixty One

_And the one poor child who saved this world  
And there's 10 million more who probably could  
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them_

_Goo Goo Dolls – Better Days_

"So little man, we have your jacket, backpack for souvenirs and my wallet. I think we're good to go," Matt told the small dark haired boy in his arms.

"Clow!" Thomas cried happily as they walked through the lobby of Carmen's apartment building.

"Yep, we're going to see the clowns, and get you your first real taste of cotton candy. I even packed a camera so your mom could see you with some of the clowns." Thomas clapped his hands happily together as they stepped through the double doors that led outside.

Matt's eyes rested on his car for a second as he began searching his pockets for his keys.

The sound of metal on metal caused him to raise his head just in time to see a taxi clip the tail end of his car. Matt spun on his heel moving back towards the apartment building, enraged.

"Son of a…" Matt's arms curled protectively around Thomas as the car behind him exploded. Matt was knocked off his feet as sharp pain riddled his back. Warm air rushed past them, Matt could feel it burning his skin. Yet he made sure that Thomas was tucked tightly against him, trying to shield the small child from the force of the blast.

There was silence now; Matt knew he was in shock. There were people around them; some of them were on cell phones, no doubt calling an ambulance. Matt closed his eyes for a second; taking a deep breath and rocking the small crying child in an attempt to sooth him.

His back was in agony. He tried to keep his attention focused on Thomas, and trying to calm the poor child.

"It's ok little buddy, I've got you. It's ok…" he repeated over and over again. He could feel himself getting the shakes.

Vaguely he found himself wondered how the hell he would explain this to Carmen.

---------------------------

_I wish everyone was loved tonight_

_And somehow stop this endless fight  
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days_

Danny held the door open for me as we stepped into the break room.

"I swear you should have been there, Gus and I were in stitches," I told Danny as we stepped inside. My hand was already on the kettle, flicking it on as Danny flopped down on the couch facing the T.V, his hands searching for the remote.

I took two mugs out of the cupboard and turned to face the T.V as Mac barrelled through the door.

"Carmen…" The mugs slipped from my grasp as I stared at the TV, hands covering my mouth at the scene.

Danny was staring open mouthed at the T.V while Mac dashed over to me.

"That's my apartment Mac, that's Matt's car! Thomas was with him. Oh my god! Oh my God!" I covered my face with my hands as it all came crashing down on me. I was beginning to hyperventilate.

"I just got the call out, their both on their way to the hospital." Mac's hands were on my arms as he met my gaze, I felt myself beginning to calm.

"So their not…" Mac shook his head at my words.

"From what the EMT's said they're not injured badly. Now you're going to take the day off and Danny is going to drive you to the hospital. When you find out how Thomas is I want you to call me," Mac told me. I nodded, unable to speak as he guided me towards Danny who was already on his feet, keys out.

Danny slipped his arm around me while I felt the numbness that has hit me beginning to ebb away only to be replaced with a mixture of anger and fear.

"Danny…I need you to do something for me," I said in a low voice. Danny looked down at me frowning.

"Anything of course," he said softly.

"After you drop me off at the hospital I need you to find Flack and tell him what's happened and then I want you to tell him that we need to talk and to meet me at home," I told him. Danny studied me for a minute before nodding.

"It's Cory's day off today, I'll fill her in and she can pick you up from the hospital," Danny said as we slipped into his car. After what had just happened there wasn't a chance in hell that I was going to argue. Right now all I wanted was my son in my arms.

--------------------------------

I knew that cry anywhere. The minute I stepped into the waiting room of the hospital I could hear a shrill hollering and the repetition of the word "Mama."

I turned my head in the direction of the cry and saw Thomas's little red face, his hands reaching out for me, straining against the arms of the person who was holding him.

Taylor Turner rose to her feet, bringing the screaming toddler over to me.

"I think its best we step outside. He's been doing this for twenty minutes and I think that nurses' heads going to explode," she informed me with a small smile.

I scooped Thomas out of her arms, checking every inch of him as we stepped towards the automatic doors.

The cold air rushed to greet us, Thomas was quiet now. He was curled up in my arms whimpering into my chest, as I stroked his head soothingly. Taylor was standing across from me, arms folded over her chest.

"Shall we sit down?" she asked gesturing to the bench alongside us. I nodded and sat down, pulling Thomas onto my lap. He was still huddled against me shaking. I wrapped my jacket around his small body and held him tightly.

"I saw them come in when I was coming back from one my tests. By the time I managed to get one of the nurses to phone Mac you were already on your way. I made sure I was with Thomas when the doctor checked him over. They said he's completely fine but he'll probably be startled by loud, sudden noises for a while." Taylor told me.

Tears were running down my eyes now as I cuddled my baby to my chest, relieved. Taylor's arm was around my shoulders pulling me close as I let out a small sniff.

"How's Matt?" I asked her, wiping at my eyes with my free hand. Taylor was rubbing my back soothingly still.

"He's doing surprisingly well. When the bomb went off, he had his back to the blast. He got some shrapnel from the car lodged in his back but that's about it. They're pulling it out now; he should be okay once they stitch him up," Taylor told me, her arms wrapped around herself. She was looking down at her legs kicking at the dirt beneath us.

"Do you have any idea what happened?" I asked, shifting a little as Thomas wiggled against me, underneath my jacket.

"Matt said that he stepped out of the lobby and saw a taxi hit his car, he turned around to go back to the apartment and then boom! The next thing he knows the car's on fie and Thomas was screaming." Taylor shook her head, as we both let out a deep breath.

"It could have been worse," she said softly, it sounded more to herself than to me.

"Yea it could have been…" I trailed off thinking.

"Taylor, I'm really sorry, I think this is all maybe related to a case that Flack's working on at the minute," I told her bowing my head.

"It's not your fault, I'm just glad no one was badly hurt. Do you mind if I go check on Matt?" she asked, turning her head to me anxiously. I shook my head as she rose to her feet.

"Could you tell him thanks?" I asked her quietly. Taylor gave me a small smile and nodded before moving back into the building.

As I sat there hugging Thomas's tiny body close, I wondered if it was time for a change of scene. I looked down at his sleepy evergreen eyes as they fluttered closed as he nestled deeper into my chest. There's not a chance in hell that I'd ever be able to deal with it if Thomas had been injured. Despite what I'd said to Don on the boardwalk on Coney Island. I wasn't sure if our jobs were right for our family anymore, not after this.

It wasn't long before Cory arrived at the hospital and took me and Thomas back home to our empty apartment.

_**Just a little something for Valentine's Day lovelies!**_


	62. Chapter 62: Crashing Down

Chapter Sixty Two

_  
I want to pull away when the dream dies  
The pain sets it and I don't cry  
I only feel gravity and I wonder why_

_  
Why do all good things come to an end?_

_Nelly Furtado – All Good Things Come To An End._

It was an hour later when the apartment door swung open revealing a bedraggled and cautious Flack. I was in the kitchen drying the dishes with renewed fury. I'd been sitting on my anger for the past hour and a half and it hadn't settled one bit. I didn't even look at him as he stepped through the door.

"Thomas is asleep in his room, no major injuries. He'll be a bit alarmed around sudden noises so try not to make any," I told Flack numbly, opening the cupboard and slipping the dishes into it.

I heard his footsteps move towards Thomas's room and then inside. I let out a deep sigh my shoulders rigid with tension.

"You told Danny we needed to talk." His words echoed over the room as he shut Thomas's door behind him.

"Yea, we do," I muttered, throwing the dishcloth down and turning to face him.

"I can't do this anymore Flack all the secrets between us at the minute. Our son almost got blown up today because we haven't been communicating with each other and I can't stand by waiting to see if that happens again," I said firmly, trying to keep myself level and calm.

Flack folded his arms over his chest and let out a deep sigh.

"I don't know what you expect me to do about it at the minute; I'm doing the best I can," he told me, his cornflower blue eyes watching me intently.

His nonchalant attitude made me snap.

"Do you not understand what happened?!" My voice rose, my hands were on my hips as I stared at him furious. "Matt's car blew up in front of our apartment building; he was taking Thomas to the Carnival. He was doing me a favour. They both could have died!"

Flack had closed his eyes as if attempting to figure out a reasonable way to deal with this situation, making me even angrier.

"Your hardly home anymore, the longest we've seen each other is for half an hour when we're both off shift, you've barely seen Thomas. I don't even feel like I'm married to you anymore." Flack's eyes flashed with fury.

"You knew what the job was like when you married me, before we even had a son. In fact that was one of the reasons I married you because I didn't think we'd end up in a situation like this!" he snarled, shaking his head in disgust.

"Your own son almost gets blown up and you care more about me whining about the time you're spending on the job? By all means I couldn't give two shits who the hell comes after me, but as soon as they try to hurt Thomas they cross the line and that's what happened today," I growled, infuriated by the way he was behaving.

Flack rolled his eyes as if asking God for patience. That was when I lost my temper.

"Do not think for a moment that I haven't noticed how I've been mollycoddled recently and if I'm not wrong it's because of the threats you've been receiving, the ones you've neglected to tell me about," I spat back at him.

Flack's eyes went wide with surprise before he recovered. His own hands on his hips. We were glaring at each other from across the room.

"You didn't need to know, I was protecting you…" I cut Flack off.

"I don't need protecting, I was a cop long before we were married Flack, and as for not needing to know, the case your working almost got our son blown up today in case you didn't notice," I retorted.

Flack's face clouded as he lost finally control of his anger.

"Bull shit you don't need protecting, you're the one that's always throwing yourself in the deep end. Have you counted the amount of times you've been in hospital in the past seven years? And then going undercover back in January, I mean what the hell are you thinking? You weren't here for six weeks and you're sitting there yelling at me for doing my job, when you went gallivanting off to help the FBI. You're a fucking hypocrite!"

My mouth dropped open at his onslaught. I kept trying to tell myself he didn't mean it, but his words were there out in the open, piercing me like knives. The rage bubbled up inside me.

"You're the fucking hypocrite, you made me feel freaking awful after not telling you about those pictures and then suddenly it comes out you've forgot to mention that your working on taking down a freaking Mob boss!" Flack's face went white at my words, he looked absolutely stunned. I continued.

"Oh yea I know about that, and you know what, it's your fault that Thomas was almost killed today. You chose your job over your own son."

There was a silence as my words penetrated the room. His eyes were on me, I could see the hurt in them but I couldn't stop now, not when I'd made it this far.

"Can you not see how dangerous this is all becoming? And for you this is only beginning, you're the rising star of the NYPD and you wanna know what comes with that territory? Shit like this! If you think for one moment that I'm going to sit here and let you put your own son's life in jeopardy than you can forget it, I won't do it Flack, not now not ever!" I told him honestly.

Before I even realized what I was doing I was rushing into the bedroom and dragging out the overnight bag form under the bed. I was yanking open the drawers and began throwing clothes into the oversized black bag. Flack had followed me to the doorway, his eyes on me as if he couldn't believe what he was actually seeing.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed, his voice low and dangerous. I reached out grabbing some of Thomas's things and shoving them into the bag before slipping it onto my shoulder and turning to face him.

"I'm leaving Flack; I can't be here when this is happening," I told him, marching past him and dumping the bag on the couch whilst I collected a few more of Thomas's things.

"You can't leave." Flack's hands were on my arms and he was staring into my face. His eyes were pleading with me.

"This is the job Carmen, this is what we do, there are always going to be risks but this is in my blood, I can't so anything else. I promise this case will all be over soon."

I wrenched myself away from him and opening the door to Thomas's room, Flack followed me inside at a loss on what to do. I picked him the sleeping child in my arms and cradled him to my chest. Thomas rubbed at his eyes before leaning his drowsy face against my shoulder and going back to sleep.

"And what will happen in the meantime, another car bomb? Our apartment blowing up? I'm sorry Don but I can't take that risk, not when we have Thomas to think about," I told Flack savagely.

"You can't take Thomas." There was genuine pain in his voice but my maternal instincts bypassed it with the knowledge that it had taken Flack far too long to get home after hearing his son had been in danger.

The job was taking over and I had my son to think about.

I grabbed the bag off the couch and slipped it onto my free shoulder.

"Some things are more important than the job, and Thomas should be one of them," I stated softly before opening the door and taking off down the corridor. I swear when I reached the elevators I heard his pager go off.

-------------------------------

My arm was growing tired from supporting Thomas's weight as I knocked for the third time on the door in front of me. I could hear the chain being taken off the door before it opened a small way.

"**Hey,**" I said quietly so not to disturb the sleeping child in my arms.

"I didn't know where else to go…" I muttered, sniffing a little and bit my lip.

Matt frowned concerned before opening the door wide and picking up the huge black bag that I'd dropped to the floor.

"Sure, come in." he said, jerking his head in the direction of the apartment.

I followed him inside before dropping onto the couch and shifting Thomas into a different position on my lap. Matt was studying me from across the room, his arms folded over his chest as if trying to comprehend what I was doing here.

"Do you want tea?" he said finally, retreating back to his kitchen.

"Please." This felt awkward me being here, but at the moment I didn't want to be near the team. I couldn't fathom the arguments about Flack's view or my view right now. I was bone achingly tired and fed up. The day had taken its toll.

"Taylor's staying overnight at the hospital to have a few tests done before op." Matt called through the doorway to the kitchen.

Matt returned to the room carrying a cup of tea and a mug of coffee for himself, he set my tea on the table in front of me, and then took a seat in the leather chair across from the coffee table, his eyes on me as he sipped it.

"Why are you here?" he asked quietly. I looked away towards his mantelpiece. Pictures of him and Taylor were dotted all over it, them smiling and pulling faces, there was a picture of the team from around Christmas.

"Flack and I had a fight." I swallowed hard, before peering down at Thomas and stroking his dark hair gently as he slept on my lap.

"I think…I think we maybe getting divorced…I don't know it's complicated." I tried to comprehend what was happening and what had happened over the last few weeks but it was becoming hard and fragmented.

Matt set his mug down on the coffee table, before leaning forward and clasping his hands together.

"Divorce is a big step; you need to think very carefully before you contemplate doing that." Matt glanced at Thomas. "Especially with a child in the mix."

I nodded, trying to choke down the tears that were rising inside me.

"I just don't know what to do." I sniffed. "I feel like the job's taking over and it's becoming more important to him, than us or even Thomas. I found out from Gus yesterday that he's running against Lucinda Garvey."

Even I heard Matt's intake of breath at this. I raised my eyes to meet his hazel one.

"See even you've heard of her, and he neglected to tell me that. We used to be a team but I feel like we're two separate people living two separate lives in the same place," I confessed, brushing away tears with the back of my hand.

"Why couldn't you go to the team about this?" Matt asked cautiously.

I shook my head.

"They won't understand, they've been mollycoddling me and I can't really face them telling me that he was right to do what he did," I explained, cradling Thomas to his chest.

"I was so scared when I saw the news and your car was on there, I thought you were both dead." I looked down at Thomas's beautiful little face as he turned over in his sleep.

"I can't imagine losing Thomas, and Flack was standing there telling me that's the job. If it is I can't do it any more, I mean I really can't." I was crying now holding on to Thomas gently.

"On top of that I can feel myself getting paranoid; I keep thinking I'm being followed. Those pictures are driving me insane." I admitted.

Matt closed his eyes for a second before getting up and sitting next to me on the couch. His arm was around my shoulders, holding me against his shoulder as I cried; his hand smoothed my hair gently.

"I think you're getting worked up, you just need to take some deep breaths and calm down. Flack loves you both and you know that. I think you need sometime to re-evaluate what you want. The job's not always sunshine and roses, but it's not always storms and hurricanes either," he told me honestly as I pulled away rubbing my eyes.

"You need to give Flack some time to sort himself out, there's always going to be a lot of pressure on him with the NYPD legend and it's hard for a person to see where he should be standing when it comes to a situation like this. Yea, he should have told you, but you have to look at the reasons he didn't and he has been trying to keep both of you safe by having me over," Matt pointed out.

I nodded my response wearily, Matt was right Flack had been trying.

"Look you and Thomas can take the bed tonight and I'll take the couch," Matt told me climbing to his feet and removing from blankets from a closet at the end of the hall.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be kicking you out of your own bed."

Matt returned piling the blankets on the couch and shrugged.

"You've got the little fella and I don't sleep to well when Taylor's not here so I'm going to be up watching TV," he admitted before ushering me to the bedroom door.

"Matt?" he turned around to face me as I held the bedroom door open.

"Thanks."

_**Read Gotham's Heroes!!!**_

_MaddyBellows: lol I think my heads going to swell so big it won't fit through the door with all the compliments you give me. Your reviews really inspire me to keep on writing! Lol well you don't have to wait for very long at all because you get a whole two chapters of them arguing._

_Sparkycsi: lol you heard about all the eps we're getting? We're getting 21 in total. I can't wait, apparently they start screening again on April 7th (I think). Lol well your going to be pretty shocked in the next chapter I send you because the bunnies have been working overtime in my head!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm not a sappy Val Day person either, I don't usually do it. I wanted to give you all a treat for it and that's what you got. Nice to make you smile!_

_Axellia: Glad your back, no worries on R&R the chapters, just take your time. Lol it's good to be socialable. Saying that I would go nuts if I didn't have the internet for 3 weeks! Lol Part of me wishes that she did just run over him! Lol I imagined I would be bored of the CD too_


	63. Chapter 63: Fighting In Labs

Chapter Sixty Three

_Do not get me wrong _

_I cannot wait for you to come home  
For now you're not here and I'm not there,_

_It's like we're on our own  
To figure it out, consider how to find a place to stand  
Instead of walking away and instead of nowhere to land_

_The Fray – She Is_

The Lab was quiet; almost everyone who was on call was out today, except me. Mac had asked me to help Adam with some samples due to the fact his Lab was immensely overloaded. That it turned out was an absolute understatement.

"You mind if I put some music on while you go on your break?" I asked Adam as he took of his lab coat.

"Feel free." He grinned at me. "My Ipod speakers are over there if you want to plug it in."

"You make the lab a funnier place, Adam," I remarked fondly. Adam blushed before waving me off as he stepped outside the glass confines of the Crime Lab.

I took my Ipod and set it in the seat of the speakers, the argument from last night was still ringing in my head and I needed a way to cleanse myself of it. I flipped the track list to AC/DC and began to work through the samples.

"AC/DC usually indicates you're pissed off right?" said a voice from behind me. I almost leapt a foot in the air. I whirled around to face Danny, hands on my hips.

"Jesus Christ Messer, you scared the crap out of me," I exclaimed, putting my hand to my chest and then flicking off the speakers.

"Is there any chance of getting this done ASAP?" Danny asked holding up a sample in front of my face. I snatched it out of his hand before turning my back on him.

"Since you asked so nicely," I muttered. I knew Danny was already rolling his eyes behind me.

"Flack was looking for you last night." Danny's words forced my whole body to tense. I buried my head in taking the sample from its baggy and setting it on a slide.

"He called Cory, too," Danny persisted.

"I was at Taylor and Matt's place," I informed him, slipping the slide carefully into the machine.

"Why?" I turned to face Danny and met his stare directly. The look on his face was suspicious, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Because yesterday when Thomas was almost blown up Don didn't bat an eyelid and I can't deal with the 'It's all part of the job' spiel. So I left," I finished. Danny was staring at me waiting for me to continue and when I didn't he put his hands on his hips.

"For good or what?" Danny asked struggling to comprehend the words that were coming out of my mouth.

I turned away and focused on the machine.

"I don't know," I replied softly.

Danny crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced.

"You can't throw something like that away," Danny inputted, shaking his head.

"Flack married me because he thought he wouldn't end up in a situation like this, because he thought we were the same." I turned to Danny and leaned against the counter.

"We're not the same. I changed when I got pregnant with Thomas and I thought Flack did too." I met Danny's gaze. "I guess I was wrong. Family's not the most important thing to him anymore."

The tears were rising again in my eyes; I turned my head away so Danny couldn't see me blink them away.

I felt Danny's presence behind me as he patted my shoulder gently.

"You'll be ok, trust me, you two will be fine, you've been through too much not to be," Danny said softly.

I closed my eyes for second before raising my head and putting on a fake smile.

"Yea, you're right it probably will."

Danny's cell phone chirped suddenly.

"Are you going to be ok?" he asked over the insistent noise.

"Yea, of course," I replied. Danny nodded before answering his cell phone and rushing from the Lab.

Watching his back I flicked the Ipod speakers back on to continue my fuming in peace.

------------------------------

I actually screamed out loud when the hand clapped on my shoulder. I spun around to see Flack jumping away from me, raising his hands as if to fend me off.

"Jesus, I am never doing that again," he informed me, crossing his arms over his chest. I turned off the Ipod speakers before facing him.

"Did you want something?" I asked him, mimicking his defensive posture.

Flack rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, a clear sign that he was nervous.

"Can we talk?" he asked. His bright blue eyes on mine were inquiring.

"I'm done talking. I said everything I wanted to last night," I said coldly.

Flack's arms were now folded tightly across his chest as he tried again.

"Look Princess, things were said last night." I cut him off.

"I meant them all."

Flack's jaw clenched as he stared me right in the eyes.

"You're not going to make this any easier for me are you? You walked out last night," he accused.

"Did you ever stop to think why I walked out last night?" I returned. "What reason could I possibly have to do that?"

"Look Princess, marriage takes work and…" I interrupted him again.

"You're certainly putting the effort in there aren't you? You know I definitely remember being at the wedding, but I guess I got a bit confused, I thought you were supposed to be marrying me and not the Job."

"You knew what you were getting into when you married me, Christ you know more than anyone what the job's like so how can you stand there and chastise me!" Flack snapped back.

"If this is what it's going to be like then I don't want to do it anymore!" I retorted furious.

"This isn't the first time we've been in danger." Flack's voice was calmer now, making me a little more rational.

"But this is the first time Thomas has been in danger and this is about him," I told him hands on my hips.

"I know you're scared especially after what happened yesterday but I need you to understand that this job is my life, it's in my blood." His hands were on my shoulders. "Car bombs aren't Lucinda's style, if she wanted to take us down she's have come into the apartment and done it personally."

I tore myself away from his grasp, practically hissing.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I spat. Flack stepped back away form me.

"The point is, it wasn't her. Someone else put that car bomb on Matt's car. Maybe someone that Matt pissed off, but it was not Lucinda Garvey. She's too thorough to make a mistake like that and she doesn't hurt a child, that's the rule," Flack told me.

I couldn't' believe he was so sure of something like this; I wanted to smack him up the side of the head shouting "she's a goddamned criminal."

"You're talking like you know her!" I exclaimed incredulously. Flack pursed his lips together tightly looking away.

"She's a lot more connected than you think," Flack informed me. The tone of his voice had dropped.

"What do you mean she's connected? She's a Mob Boss, of course she's connected!" I yelled shrilly.

Flack's eyes were on me flashing the deepest shade of blue I'd ever seen in them.

"No Carmen, she's connected to Danny," he told me through gritted teeth. "Lucinda Garvey is Danny's mother."

I shook my head at his words.

"Danny's mother died when he was two, he told me. His father remarried, I met his stepmother," I told Flack.

Flack put his hand down on the work surface and leaned on it before continuing.

"She's not dead."

I was frowning now, trying to remember if there was any indication that Danny had lied to me.

"Papa Messer lied to Danny; Lucinda left Papa Messer to be with someone higher up the food chain. He didn't want to tell them the truth so he just told them that she was dead. They were kids; they wouldn't really remember the circumstances surrounding it. A few years later he married Lillian De Marco, Danny's step-mom," Flack explained, pulling his "what can you do?" face.

"How do you know all of this?" I asked. Flack flinched as if he'd been hoping I wouldn't be asking that question.

"Because Papa Messer has decided to go on the straight and narrow. He's been reading about all the good deeds that Danny's been doing and decided he wants to retire from the Mob. On top of that, it would appear that Lucinda's been tying up a few loose ends and Papa Messer isn't happy with the idea that him, Danny and Louie may become one of those loose ends."

I put a hand to my head, struggling to understand all of this.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," Flack said. I saw a sympathetic glint in his eyes as I paced the tiny room.

"Does Danny know any of this?" I asked. He looked down at his shoes before shaking his head.

"Papa Messer doesn't want Danny to know any of this yet. He wants us to wait until after I take Lucinda down."

I rubbed my face with my hands as the anger flared up inside me.

"So you're keeping secrets from your friends now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Flack gestured with his arms, clearly exasperated.

"Carmen this is going to be one of the biggest take downs in history. We're going to be shutting down one of the Five Families. This is what cops work towards their whole entire life and it's me that gets to do it."

My whole body was tense when I looked him straight in the eye and spoke.

"Oh my God Flack, how selfish can you be? If you do this and that puts you on every Mob boss's hit list. Did you stop to think about who they're going to use to get to you?"

I knew from the look on his face I had my answer.

"The truth is you didn't stop to think did you?"

Flack practically exploded. He strode up to me so we were inches apart, glaring right into each other's faces.

"Everything I do is to make the world a safer place for my son, our son. You've done exactly the same thing Carmen, so don't you dare yell at me for something that you know you've done time and time again," Flack seethed, bearing down on me.

"The only thing you care about is living up the expectations everyone else lays out for you. The only reason you're taking on Garvey is because you want to live up to your father's name. You have to be the star of the NYPD because that's what you think being a hero really is! You don't care about me, or your son, so long as you prove yourself to everyone else. You're not the man I thought you were," I snarled.

I jumped again as Cory instigated herself between Flack and me, her eyes flashing.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing? Quarrelling like children in the middle of the lab where anyone can overhear you," she asked in shock as she pushed us away from each other.

Both Flack and I flushed as we realized what we had been doing and looking at the glare that Cory was sending both of us, I wondered just how much she had overheard. She turned her glare back to me.

"Carmen, stay here. You and I are going to lunch," she said quietly as she turned to Flack. "And you, follow me."

Flack looked like he was about to protest when Cory grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the lab and into Danny's office, where she shut the door.

Flack flinched visibly when her icy stare pinned him into place. "What the hell is going on here, Flack?"

Flack crossed his arm belligerently over his chest. "None of your concern, Cory."

Cory took a deep breath as she fought to control her anger. "You're trying to tell me that the fact that Danny's mother—the woman he and I assumed was dead—is alive and the head of the Corleone clan is none of my business? Try again."

"Why are you here?" he shot back.

"I came here to offer you help with trying to take Garvey down. I know that the NYPD is understaffed and I wanted to see if you wanted to make this a joint operation. I have the staff."

"I don't need any help," Flack shot back in anger.

Cory just raised her eyebrows before stating brutally, "Then Carmen is right. You are just in this for the glory. You're not thinking of your family, your real family, and the consequences of your actions." She stared at him like he was something the slide that Carmen had been analyzing. "You're not the person I thought you were, Don. Either you need to tell Danny or I will," she spat out as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

_**Read Gotham's Heroes!!!!!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol Seven more! Starting on the 7__th__ apparently! Thanks for betaing all this chapters last night. Lol At least they manage to get a break in the argument with Cory stepping in, that was driving me insane!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: thank you! I work really hard on trying to make them realistic. I think this kind of shoes how real relationships function, couple do have those round about fights that just go on and on and these two are trapped in everything that's happened and the fact that they both won't talk about it._

_Sanghian: I'm sorry to remind you of that but unfortunately that's the way couples and marriages work. Thanks for the review._

_Bluehavan4220: Your review really touched me, thank you so much. It's always nice to hear lovely things abut your writing. The thing is the characters practically write themselves. It is sad the way these things happen especially to couples you think are going to stay together forever but things always work out for the best._


	64. Chapter 64: Ultimatum

Chapter Sixty Four

_What's this life for?_

_But they ain't here anymore!_

_Don't have to settle the score…_

_Creed – What's this Life For_

I wondered what Cory and Flack were talking about, but after the look she had given me, I wasn't going to risk her wrath any more by leaving. When she walked back into the lab, her eyes were still flashing, I raised my hands in defence.

Cory simply looked at me. "Come on, let's go to lunch," she said.

I nodded and followed her out of the lab. When we finally got to our normal café, she looked at me intently. "Carmen, tell me what's going on?" There was no accusation or condemnation in her voice. She actually looked at me sympathetically.

Faced with the sympathy in her eyes, I broke down and spilled the entire story.

After I was done, I looked at Cory, misery flowing through me. "Am I being stupid?" I asked her.

"No, I don't think so. But I do think there is more going on here. Part of the problem is that y'all haven't had a chance to really talk lately. Y'all really need to take some time and discuss this."

"But that's just it!" I exclaimed. "Don is putting the job before Thomas and me."

Cory sighed. "Look. I don't like advising you to do this, but it may be the only way to get through to him. Let Danny and I take Thomas for the weekend. Give Don an ultimatum that either he takes this weekend off, or you want a separation. I honestly think that he just got caught up in the excitement and stopped thinking. This may be the jolt he needs come out of it."

I stared at her for a moment and let out a deep sigh.

"I think you may be right, I don't think it helps that I've gone into momma bear lock down mode either," I confessed, pulling a face. "And it's a better solution that divorce papers."

"You actually considered that?"

"I can't say that it didn't cross my mind, things have been pretty bad recently," I admitted.

Cory gave me a sympathetic smile before picking at her food, looking slightly troubled.

"At least we know why he's been so secretive lately," I said, taking a bite out of my sandwich and shaking my head.

"The case Flack's working on is stirring things up a lot with the gangs at the minute, that's why I was offering him help. The NYPD is not nearly as equipped to deal with the fallout this could cause," Cory confided, still looking troubled.

"Bet he hasn't thought about that either," I muttered rolling my eyes.

"He seems to be burying himself pretty deep at the minute," Cory pointed out. "I just can't wrap my head around Garvey being Danny's mother. When you think about it, they do look alike but only if you know there's a connection."

I contemplated this for a second.

"Are you going to tell him?" I asked her quietly. Cory studied me for a second, before leaning back in her chair focusing on her drink.

"I have no idea what to do, I mean by the sounds of it, it's one of the terms that Flack and Papa Messer agreed on. I don't know what to do. Maybe it's best to let Papa Messer tell him."

It was clear she was conflicted, I couldn't imagine being in her position.

"Are you sure can take Thomas this weekend?" I asked her, stirring my own coffee.

"Of course, it's the first weekend Danny and I are off together, we'd love to take care of the little guy." I nodded my agreement Cory reached out and touched my hand gently.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked softly.

I stared down at my coffee, shrugging.

"I have no idea, what if he doesn't come?" I hesitated setting both my elbows on the table. "It's just scary to think it could all be over when it took us so long to actually get here, you know what I'm saying?"

Cory took both my hands in hers before looking me straight in the eyes.

"I'm sure he'll make the right decision."

----------------------------

The bullpen was crowded as hell as I wove my way through the burly, suit clad detectives and towards Flack's desk.

I paused in front of it for a second, seeing him head bent, intensely reading he piece of paper in his hands. I stood there for a second just watching him amongst the busyness. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as his blue eyes scanned the document.

He put a hand to his head and closed his eyes for a second before leaning back in his chair and opening them. His gaze landed right on me. His vivid blue eyes, narrowing as he leant back in his chair, his hands folding over his chest again.

"What's up? Returning for round two?" he growled.

I tilted my head and rolled my eyes.

"I need some time," I said wearily. Flack raised an eyebrow sceptically. I took a deep breath before continuing.

"I mean we need some time…together …as a couple" I corrected myself. "The baseline is I need you to take this weekend off."

Flack's jaw tightened, I saw his eyes flash in anger.

"Why? Do you and Matt need a babysitter?" he retorted bitterly.

I stared into his eyes incredulously before placing both hands on his desk and leaning over him. To his credit Flack didn't move form his position, he sat in his chair, eyes on me, jaw clenched.

"We are so not having this conversation," I hissed in a low voice. "If you don't take this weekend off so we can spend some time together we're going to have to separate. I mean it Flack, I can't do this anymore."

Flack bit his lip and looked away. I had the sinking feeling that this was becoming a lost cause.

"I'll be at the apartment until nine, if you don't show by then I'll know how you feel about this marriage and we'll be temporarily separating until I manage to find another place and start divorce proceedings."

Flack's lips were pursed together tightly as he rubbed the back of his head, not saying a word in response. I drew away from his desk before giving him a grim smile.

"Let's hope you make the right decision," I murmured softy, before turning my back on him and heading for home.

It occurred to me as I was walking away that I didn't know what to do if he decided not to show on Friday night.

_**READ GOTHAM'S HEROS!!!**_

_ForestAngel: lol I hope I've done your request some justice in the next chapter. It's hard because it's first person to get everyone's point of view on the subjects at hand. Thanks for the review._

_Bluehavan4220: Well you'll get a glimpse of things to come in the next chapter so you won't be waiting too long. Lol I'm glad you like these chapters I was a bit unsure about writing them because I wasn't sure what people's reactions would be to Flack and Carmen fighting._

_Maddy Bellows: lol that was a twist for me too, I was so surprised when it all came out whist I was writing! I wanted to make the fight realistic but it was hard because when your writing an argument you need to think of the two chars POV logically and why they'd be fighting that point. Thanks for the fab review! I sent you a chapter yesterday; Gus is only in it for a bit but just wanted to see what you think. The beginning will confuse you aBit I think._

_Axellia: lol Thanks for all the reviews, I was really surprised when I opened my inbox this morning. Lol I couldn't help the thing with the cow I wanted something to show how close she was to snapping. Lol hell I'm in love with Matt. Lol I will convert you to SMACKED! Lol the MR Potato Head line came out of nowhere and I was cackling when I wrote it! I am a lean mean writing machine. The truth be told the plot bunnies practically invade my mind most of the time. I don't get a min to think about anything else at the min._

_Sparkycsi: lol I'd be the same if I was them, I love the whole fighting thing they have because it shows nothings perfect! I'll be sending your chapter back later today!_


	65. Chapter 65: Make or Break

Chapter Sixty Five

_I can't see much of a future  
Unless we find out who's to blame  
What a shame  
And we won't be together much longer  
Unless we realize that we are the same_

_Pete Yorn - Ever Fallen In Love_

Cory closed the door behind her and Danny as they stepped into the apartment. I lifted Thomas onto the couch so I could put on his little sheepskin jacket.

"Da?" Thomas called hopefully as I zipped him up.

I lifted the tiny child up and rubbed noses with him.

"I'm afraid not cutie. Let's hope he decides to come home soon," I uttered before shifting him into a sitting position in my arms. Thomas's feather light lips brushed my cheek as he hugged my neck tightly.

"You're going to have fun with Aunty Cory and Uncle Danny this weekend," I told the toddler, his face lit up at the sound of their names.

I turned to Cory, who reached to take Thomas from me. Danny was standing in the background fiddling with the strap of the baby bag. I handed Thomas gently to Cory; he immediately reached out for her hair. She pulled him just out of reach.

"He always goes for the hair." She grinned, looking into the little boy's evergreen eyes.

"We're going to have loads of fun, aren't we Thomas?" Cory spoke whilst jiggling Thomas, who relaxed into her happily.

I watched feeling a breath of relief leave me. I'd been concerned about Thomas's response to being separated from me due to the trauma of the car bomb. From what I could see though, Thomas was enjoying Cory's company just like he had before, which had to mean something.

Watching Cory with Thomas made me think she was going to make a good mother one day. She was so easy around children, when I had Thomas I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Danny picked up the baby bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"We were thinking about taking him the petting zoo and maybe to feed the ducks at the park," Danny informed me as I walked them to the door.

"Sounds good," I said honestly. I leaned in to kiss Thomas's forehead.

"Thanks for doing this guys." I told them both gratefully.

"No problem," Danny stated clasping my shoulder gently, before moving out of the way to let Cory out of the door.

"Good luck tonight, and if you need me call," she told me sternly. I gave her a tiny smile.

"I will I promise."

"Say goodbye to Mama," Cory told Thomas. Thomas was waving to me now as they strolled down the corridor and towards the elevator. I gave him a final wave before shutting the door to begin the wait for Detective Flack.

------------------------------

I glanced at the clock from my position on the couch. My hands were clasped together as I shook my head. It was half past nine. I stood up, jaw clenched tightly before yanking my jacket off the back of the chair and slipping it over my shoulders.

I was straightening my collar when I heard it, the sound of a key in the lock. I stared at it expectantly as Flack hurried through it, eyes darting around the room expectantly.

He let out a deep sigh of relief as his eyes landed on me.

"The traffic was terrible; I didn't think you'd be here," he told me closing the door behind him still panting.

"You took the stairs two at a time didn't you?" I smirked.

"Hey, the elevator's broken again, and it's not like I don't mind the extra exercise." He shrugged grinning.

I saw some of the old Flack coming back into play. We were smiling at each other for a few seconds before Flack bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You want to…" he gestured towards the couch. I nodded nervously as we both moved over to the couch and dropped down next to each other.

"So…" I started, staring at my hands. Flack was studying his wedding ring intensely.

I turned my body towards him studying the profile of his face.

"Look I'm sorry I took Thomas and left yesterday, it's just…" I was trying to figure out a way to word this. "You've seem pretty distant lately, I haven't seen you in over two weeks and suddenly I find out that you're actually doing all the overtime willingly and you're trying to take down a Mob Boss. I just think your trying too hard to live up to other people's expectations. I feel like your forgetting that you have a family, here at home."

Flack ran a hand through his hair; the expression on his face was one of extreme sadness.

"I didn't mean for this to happen you know. One day I was doing my time on nights and the next thing I know we're investigating murder at the Plaza and Lucinda Garvey is the main suspect. It's freaking crazy," he explained, focusing on his shoes and shaking his head. "I go the deli downstairs to grab a bite to eat and Papa Messer is in there waiting for me, saying he'll speak with me and only me. I didn't mean to get dragged into this but I did and it's not like I can just back out of it, or we lose our only lead on Garvey. It's a Catch 22 situation."

Flack's head was on his hands now; he looked like he was really struggling. I rubbed his back in sympathy. He raised his head, our eyes locked as he spoke again.

"On top of that I didn't want to come home; I started to feel like you don't need me anymore. I feel like you and Matt are the ones married not me and you and it kills me. It killed me not being there at your trial, and all the other times that I should have been there you've gone running to Matt, did anything ever happen there? Because every time I'm alone with you two there's a weird tension I can't quite get past, I just…I feel that you two share some secret that I don't know." Flack asked, he was studying me as I took a deep breath and started fiddling with my own wedding ring.

"Once when we were in the academy, we…you know…" I hesitated, Flack's eyes never left mine. "We slept together one night; there was a lot of alcohol involved." I tore my gaze away from his focusing on my own wedding ring. "Matt was the first person I told about my ex husband and everything that went along with that. He was the first person I really opened up to…Anyway after we slept together…Matt wanted a commitment, and well…you know, I didn't want anything, I'd just got divorced and it was scary for me to commit to anyone else after that. Anyway we both declared it a mistake and stayed firm friends. I've never looked back…Are you ok?" I cut myself off, watching Flack's reaction to the news.

His attention was now back on the palm of his hands and he looked slightly shocked.

"I guess I kind of expected it, you know? I just felt like you didn't need me anymore with him around," Flack admitted.

I reached out and his arm gently.

"That's not true, I need you to be here, Thomas needs you, it's been a living hell trying to get along without you," I told him honestly.

"There's just been so many rumours…" I cut him off.

"There's always going to be rumours, but if there was any truth to any of them I would tell you right away, I promise," I said softly, Flack's eyes met mine again, I could see the relief in them.

"Come here," he murmured opening his arms and wrapping them around me. I buried my nose in his neck, clutching him tightly.

"I'm sorry I went all mother bear on you," I muttered as his hand raked through my hair. I shivered as it continued down my back, making me tip my head back.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here." He kissed my exposed neck gently. "I promise…that…I'll be…here…more often."

He was speaking between kisses. My hands were on his shoulders as I moved against him.

"Please don't stop doing that," I begged as his lips moved lower. His hands were caressing up and down my legs now. I moaned against him.

"I missed you," he whispered close to my ear making me shiver as he began to undo the buttons on my shirt.

"I missed you, too," I murmured as he peeled the shirt from my skin and proceeded to remind me of what I'd been missing these past few weeks.

_**Lol lack of reviews makes Aphina pout! Gah! The boiler is on the fritz so I'm waiting for the repair man and writing some more chapters. It's so freaking cold in this house though. To the reviewers!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I did seriously debate giving this chapter a different ending but I couldn't do it. We'll have to see how it plays out, and how it fits in with my plot. I think this may actually become bigger (chapter-wise) than Simply Devine. Thanks for getting that chapter back._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: hopefully this chapter soothed your worry! Lol I like the way you get emotionally involved in this story it makes me smile. If they ever did split I promise Thomas would be in safe hands. They'd probably take joint custody. As it stands I don't think they'll ever split up, (don't quote me on that, I was determined that they wouldn't get married or have kids either but apparently that's what the chars wanted.)_

_Sparkycsi: lol thanks for getting it back so quick. I think I was just wondering what would happen if he didn't turn up and then ran away with the idea, hence why it didn't come abut when I tried to write it. Yes that is part of the next chapter! I'm prob gonna need your help._


	66. Chapter 66: Collide

Chapter Sixty Six

_The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through  
You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you  
_

_I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again_

_Howie Day – Collide_

Flack was lying on his side as the sunlight streamed through the fluttering curtains. His oceanic eyes were focused on the sleeping figure next to him. The sun touched her skin, giving it a radiate glow as Carmen let out a little sigh and flipped onto her back, her head tilting towards him.

Flack found himself smiling. It seemed like it had been forever since he'd been in this place. For the first time in over a month Flack found himself happy again.

The truth be told this case was wearing him down. All the extra time he'd been putting in was apparently getting them every inch closer to Lucinda Garvey, thankfully. He knew the only real lead they had was Papa Messer, he hated the fact he couldn't talk to Danny about this, yet there was some solace in the fact he could talk to Carmen. He'd already decided to call Cory as soon as this weekend was over in order to get her on board with the whole thing.

Right now though he had to focus on one thing for the next two days and that was Carmen. He leaned on his arm as he watched the raise and fall of her chest. He was lucky to have her and he knew it. He'd been terrified when she'd walked out the other night, even more so when he learnt where she had gone. He'd never been possessive of Carmen or jealous of Matt, but whenever they were together he had felt the under lying tension there, something unspoken that passed between them.

Despite the fact he'd been a little angry at the fact she hadn't mentioned her and Matt's previous one night stand, he also acknowledged that all that was in the past now. He didn't need to worry about the past; he needed to focus on now and the future. He trusted her with every fibre of his being.

Yet, seeing Matt taking his place hadn't been easy, he'd stayed away because he couldn't deal with the issues that work and his home life here throwing at him. He'd begun blocking things out, distancing himself. He hadn't realized how bad things had gotten until he heard about Thomas, the next thing he knew they were fighting.

Flack had been horrified when he'd learnt Thomas had been almost killed, he was already on his way to the car, sprinting through the station, when Sinclair had literally grabbed him and forced him into the interrogation room with Papa Messer, under the threat of being disgraced and fired from the job. Flack had almost handed in his badge right there and then until Sinclair pointed out that this was personal, not just to him but to Danny as well.

He had struggled through the interview and upon reaching home, the pressure that he'd been under the past few weeks imploded. Flack's heart had practically stopped beating in his chest when she walked out. He couldn't help but harbour the resentment he felt towards her, he thought she couldn't understand what he was going through. The things they'd said were harsh but true and when the dust had settled he was glad that she'd made the first move to bridge their relationship because he couldn't see a way to repair their marriage until she'd offered him this option.

It had taken him a while to realize how unhappy he'd been without her by his side.

Carmen was stirring now. Flack propped his head up on his hand and watched her forest green eyes open. He gave her a contented smile as she turned on her side to face him.

"I missed watching you sleep," he said softly, stroking the hair from her face.

Carmen snuggled closer towards him; he could feel the heat of her body pressing against his. He bit back the moan that was threatening to escape his lips.

"Sleep?" she grinned. "I think I can think of much more things I'd rather be doing."

Carmen's lips brushed his softly at first and then became more insistent. His hands were in her hair as he rolled onto his back, smiling, pulling her on top of him. Her hands slid down his body, lightly teasing as her lips moved down his throat.

"Jesus, I forgot how good you were at that," he murmured as he writhed under her touch.

"I guess I'll have to remind you," she uttered seductively before her mouth moved lower.

----------------------------------

"I think this has actually just become the best day ever," I groaned through the mouthful of pancakes I was eating. After a morning of consistent love making, Flack had decided it was time to take me out for breakfast, or in our case lunch. Right now I was eating the best pancakes on the island and in extreme bliss.

My eyes rose to Flack who was chomping happily on his own plate of pancakes. Our eyes met causing us to share a smile before returning to our meals.

"So what are you going to do about Danny, and the whole Lucinda Garvey thing?" I asked him thoughtfully. Flack wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering.

"I thought we weren't going to talk shop," he returned pointedly.

"Technically since I made that rule I can change it," I informed with, waving my fork about.

Flack shook his head before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I want to tell Danny, but if Papa Messer finds out then everything we have on Garvey is down the pan," Flack told me, clearly conflicted.

"How do you think Danny's going to react to you taking down his mom though?" I asked quietly. Flack ran a hand through his hair looking pained.

"I have no idea," he told me, his eyes were on his plate now dully. I reached a hand out and rested it on his gently.

"We'll figure something out," I assured him. Flack gave me a grateful look before continuing to eat his pancakes.

"You wanna know what new habits our son has picked up since you last saw him?" I asked Flack trying to change the subject.

"Shoot," he said with a mouthful of pancakes, I pulled a face before beginning to fill him in on all of Thomas's recent mischievous activity.

Flack threw a few bills on the table as we stood up to leave. His arm was around my waist as we moved to the door. His face lit up as he told me about Gus's latest dive into a dumpster straight after a criminal she'd been chasing. I was laughing out loud and not paying attention to the direction we were going in.

I yelped as I bumped into someone. I heard a clatter and realized the woman I just knocked into had dropped her black leather handbag on the floor.

"I am so sorry," I said, bending down to pick the expensive looking handbag up. I rose to my feet smiling pleasantly as I handed the bag back to the woman in front of me, raising my eyes to meet hers.

Danny's eyes were staring back at me, but the problem was they weren't Danny's.

I froze as she took the bag from my hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you Detective Devine, or is it Devine-Flack. I never really know how to introduce myself to you." The pictures I'd seen of Lucinda Garvey didn't really do her justice.

Danny and her really did have the same eyes. Her sandy coloured hair was pulled back into a neat French plait. Her suit was crisp and probably cost more than my whole apartment. Behind her were two burly men, also clad in black suits. I could see at least one of them was carrying. She was formidable to say the least. Flack's hand tightened around my waist.

"Lucinda, are you following me?" Flack asked with his boyish tone of voice, yet I could tell underneath the mask he was unnerved.

"Why Detective Flack I was merely in the neighbourhood, and I happened across this fine establishment for my afternoon coffee." She laughed as if this was a total coincidence. Coincidence my ass.

After everything that had happened have Lucinda Garvey turning up here attempting to put Flack even more on edge irked me, which is probably why I said something about it.

"Listen here you old witch, I am not fooled nor intimidated by this little 'coincidental' meeting. I swear to God if you come near my son again, car bomb or no car bomb I will end you, are we clear?" I growled jabbing my finger at her.

Lucinda's wrinkled hand went to her chest and she had the audacity to look entirely surprised by my statement.

"Detective Devine, it is entirely beyond me to hurt an innocent child, I'm sure if you listened to your husband here, he'd tell you the same thing." She gestured towards Flack whose jaw was clenched so tightly I thought his teeth may break.

"I know exactly what you're capable of and if you want to keep your cosy little life style you may want to watch your back because I am just waiting to haul you and your little Jimmy Choo's in to a jail cell," I snarled back, in disbelief.

Flack's arm was practically tugging me towards the door as Lucinda took a delicate step forward squaring up to me. I held my ground and looked up at her as she looked at me as if I was nothing more than a speck of dust.

"Such a headstrong little thing, aren't you? The red heads always are. I can see why he married you," she tutted, gazing down at me. "I'll tell you two things for free Detective Devine. One, I am not the one that tried to hurt your son. I once had two little boys of my own and hurting children is against my nature. Number two, I would never be so sloppy; if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. You'd better watch your back because at the moment you're not on my radar but trust me when I say that you're on someone else's and they're playing for keeps."

I studied her for a second as we stood inches apart glaring at each other before she spoke again.

"I think you should keep your wife on a leash Detective Flack before she gets hurt," Lucinda remarked dryly. It took all of Don's strength to practically drag me out of the diner and yank me onto the sidewalk away from Lucinda.

"As much fun as it would be to watch you beat seven shades of crap out of the old hag, it's not going to help if you get your badge taken off you for the second time this month," Flack pointed out reasonably.

I merely grunted before throwing a glance over my shoulder to make sure we weren't being followed by one of her goons as we made our way back to our apartment building.

"If she's not responsible for the car bomb, then who is?" I asked Flack thoughtfully as he stopped and turned to meet my gaze. He shook his head.

"I don't know, it could be anyone we've pissed off over the years, maybe even someone Matt's pissed off. It was his car," Flack reminded me, slipping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him.

"I guess you're right," I sighed, leaning in. Flack gave me a wolfish grin before kissing my forehead.

"Well you certainly showed that you're not scared of her. I think you managed to shake her up," Flack informed me as we tread slowly in the direction of the apartment.

"Good, I want her to think twice before messing with your family," I confided. Flack nodded his response.

"I love it when you're brave," he whispered, dipping his head toward my ear. I felt my face light up at his words as I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, brushing my body up against him.

"Maybe you should show me how much," I replied wickedly. Within five minutes, Flack was whisking me back to the apartment and proceeding to slowly remove my clothes, piece by piece.

_**Okies the boiler is fixed now so Donna is a happier person, she can actually write without the feeling her hands are going to fall off from the cold. Anyway me and sparkycsi have been working really hard on two fantastic chapters for you all, so watch out for chapter 74 and 75!**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm not apologizing for pouting! It was truly freezing here! Lol I think that we are mature responsible adults and we should be praised for our story writing! Lol not a prob about the other chapter. Your review mad me smile with the pouting thing. Here's to being patched up, and god luck getting through everything that happens in the next few chapters!_

_Daisyangel: lol I almost did go down that route but I can't do it, I like them together too much and they need each other with all the crap that's coming up!_

_Katydid13: it's always nice to see a new reviewer. So Hi and welcome to the story! Lol let'sh ope I'm able to keep you entertained._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I know plot bunnies are so evil sometimes. I think in jobs like the ones their doing, there's always going to be a debate right around the corner. Esp now that they have a son. They need to support each other with what's coming up next. Lol I think I got that hint, was it the hiring new staff thing?_

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for your help on 75 it was awesome. Lol with everything that was coming up I thought it would probably be best for it just to be traffic. Lol I am barely coherent myself this morning._


	67. Chapter 67: Help Wanted

**AN:**** A special thanks to Sparkycsi for being the best beta and for co-writing the last few chaps.**

Chapter Sixty Seven

_But girl, tonight you look so pretty  
Yes you do  
Times Square can't shine as bright as you  
I swear it's true_

_Oh it's what you do to me  
What you do to me_

_Plain White T's – Hey There Delilah_

"Hey, little guy, come here to Daddy." Thomas's face lit up as Don crouched down and opened his arms wide. The tiny toddler let out an excited cry before throwing himself at his father. I watched happily from the doorway as Don lifted Thomas in one arm and came towards the door, smiling contently at Cory as I gestured for her to come in.

"I'm glad to see you finally at home Flack," Cory remarked as she stepped into the apartment.

"It's good to be home," he uttered before raising Thomas above his head and blowing a raspberry on his stomach.

Cory sidled up next to me as we both watched Don and Thomas get reacquainted.

"I see it worked out for the best," Cory said quietly. I glanced at her before nodding my agreement.

"As if things never changed," I murmured. There was a moment of silence between us before I twisted my body towards her.

"We bumped into Lucinda Garvey yesterday," I informed her. Cory folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"She 'coincidently' was in the neighbourhood…" Flack interrupted me from across the room. "Carmen decided to threaten her; I practically had to drag her away before she went for the old…"

I cut him off to keep him from swearing in front of Thomas. "Witch…Anyway we better get her soon because she's becoming a real pain in my..." I trailed off and glanced at Cory who was looking at me somewhat amused.

"I'm gonna need your help," Flack was striding towards us now Thomas clasped in his arms. Don's baby blues were on Cory intently.

"You were right, I can't do this on my own; the NYPD is too understaffed to deal with this." He paused; his eyes strayed to Thomas whose small hand was grasping for Flack's nose. "Besides, I have a family to think of now."

Cory smiled as she nodded. "I'm glad to help; that's why I offered, but Don, you can't keep this from Danny. He needs to know, and if he doesn't and he finds out that I knew all along…" she trailed off, clearly worried about the possible rift that keeping the secret could cause in her relationship.

Flack nodded, the serious look back in his eyes. "I've been thinking the same thing, but Papa Messer refuses to budge. He does not want Danny and Louie to know."

Cory furrowed her brow as she moved further into the apartment and sat on the couch. "Do you think he would talk to me?" she asked. "I mean, he must know that Danny and I are together. From what he's told me about his dad, Papa Messer doesn't strike me as a man who's not going to know what's going on with his children."

Flack shrugged. "It's worth a shot, but you can't tell Danny until you get that okay. You do that and Papa Messer finds out…our case flies straight out the window."

I busied myself by moving into the kitchen and made us all coffee. I set Cory's in front of her and Don's at the edge of the coffee table.

"We need to do something about it soon, the more people that get involved the more people that are going to start working things out and I'd rather Danny heard from one of us as opposed to some jumped up Detective making a snarky comment," I put in my two cents as I sat down next to Cory on the couch.

Flack put Thomas down on the floor, watching as he ran into his room yelling something incoherent. I shook my head with a tiny smile before Flack joined the meeting we were having around the table. Cory picked up her mug and sipped from it looking thoughtful.

"The only person who knows about Papa Messer coming forward are me and Sinclair. Gus went into hospital for testing with Taylor the day before and I'm sworn to secrecy." Flack's eyes fell on me. "That's why it's been so hard for me lately; the stress of keeping this secret is killing me."

"Does Mac know about any of this?" Cory asked. I turned my attention to Flack, awaiting his answer.

"He knows that I'm going after Lucinda Garvey and about the threatening letters and Carmen's pictures, but Sinclair made me promise I wouldn't get him involved either. He thinks we don't need to inform the Crime Lab yet." I shook my head at the sheer audacity of Sinclair.

"He and Mac have that weird air between them ever since that email scandal broke out; he tried to tear the ass out of Hawkes until Mac forced him to back down. Relationships between Sinclair and the Crime Lab are pretty tense at the minute," I explained to Cory.

Flack ran a hand through his hair.

"It doesn't help that Sinclair doesn't seem to be too fond of you either, he thinks you lack respect for authority," Flack informed me, I tilted my head towards him.

"Naw, I just have none for him," I returned. Cory sniggered behind her coffee cup.

"I'll talk to Papa Messer tomorrow, and I'll get back to you about telling Danny. He needs to know soon," Flack told us.

"Another thing is witness protection, I'm betting as soon as Lucinda realizes that we're talking to Papa Messer, he's going to be doing a disappearing act. We need to start setting something up, especially if he's going to be testifying against her," I pointed out.

"What kind of information are you getting off Papa Messer?" Cory asked leaning forward.

"I'll have the transcripts faxed to you tomorrow, so we can start setting up witness protection for him," Flack told Cory.

"I'm not entirely sure about his reasons for doing this. I find it hard to believe that it's all for his sons, considering he hasn't spoken to Danny since he joined the academy. Can you really be sure that he's not just getting rid of her for revenge or even to take her place?" I pointed out thoughtfully.

Flack shrugged.

"I doubt he'd be able to take her place, she's got a loyal following. Unless he wanted to launch a gang war, I can't see that happening. Lucinda seems to be getting rid of figures from her past. Two of her ex-husbands are already dead and it doesn't seem like it's going to be too long before we find Papa Messer in a ditch somewhere. I think the fact he approached me is entirely self driven, he knows the only way he can ensure his own safety is through the police protection. Maybe he's had enough of having to look over his shoulder all the time," Flack explained.

Cory clasped her hands together in front of her and pressing them to her head.

"I think that's a more likely reason than the one about him doing it for Danny and Louie. I'm not even sure if Lucinda would count her two sons as loose ends. Danny told me he doesn't remember anything about his real mom," Cory revealed.

"Who knows what that woman is capable of?" I growled, wrapping my hands around my lukewarm coffee cup.

"Carmen how many times do I have to tell you? She did not blow up Matt's car," Flack told me, shaking his head.

"It doesn't fit in with her style to go around blowing up cars. She's pretty quick and decisive; a good old shot in the back of the head, unless she wants to make an example of you," Cory confirmed Flack's theory.

"Hm," I grunted. Flack rolled his eyes at my stubbornness, as Cory checked her watch.

"I've got to get going guys. I promised Danny I'd cook dinner tonight. He wants a good home-cooked Texas meal," Cory informed us rising to her feet.

"I think it's time to put Thomas to bed," Flack said as we followed suit.

Whilst Flack went to Thomas's room to get him ready for bed, I walked Cory to the door, holding it open for her as she stepped through.

"I'm glad you two are talking now, it's good to see you happy again," Cory smiled as she spoke.

"It's good to have him home; I thought I was going to lose him at one point," I admitted, looking down at my hands.

"I gotta run. I'll catch you both later." And with that she was gone.

Closing the door behind me, I faced the apartment feeling contentment embracing me, knowing that for at least one night all was right in the world.

_**Good morning ladies and gents! Lol I wish I could stay home and write fan fiction all day (God knows my muse is going insane here), but unfortunately I have to go to work and then write an 1000-1500 assignment on Evil before Monday. But fear not I have a few chapters done so I won't be keeping you in suspense for too long.**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I think it's good to get emotionally invested in chars that you like, because it means the writers going something right. Lol I tried to make it as less Mary-Sue as possible, I wanted Carmen to be a realistic person and I love writing her! I'll probably be pretty sad when this story ends but knowing me there maybe be a sequel, who knows, I can't see this ending any time soon. Lol its fun to write someone who has a bit of action in their lives and try to get to grips with the emotional side of that. Carmen's a char who's opened me up to writing things I would never have thought of so it's been fun writing her._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I'm glaf I can feel them again. Lol I had the Lucinda scene in my head since the got written in. I wanted there to be a confrontation between the two women so people could get a measure of the two of them. On top of that I love writing Carmen as a hot head, she makes me laugh. Lol I had to put the Dumpster dive in, I was thinking about your story and things Gus gets into, and I wanted to keep her mentioned despite the fact she's not in the story a lot at the minute. Lol I demand more of your story!_

_Forest Angel: lol they get personal time on and off during the next few chapters, there's a lot of action. Lol I couldn't help but write her standing up to Garvey, I could just see her dong that and Flack practically carrying her out of the coffee shop. She definitely a proper bear when it comes to her family._

_B;uehavan4220: lol I am sorry to hear about your serious case of bad day! Lol at least I made you smile, but in the next few chapters I'm determined to keep you on the edge of your seat! Lol Unfortunately I can't sew so it's best you doing your pants. Definitely yay for the heating! Lol be nice to the plot bunnies they make stories! _

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for that chapter; I was running out of steam last night. Lol Woot! to losing 5 pounds! Lol You have much more will power than I have, my house mate makes pancakes on a regular basis! I'm pretty lucky. Lol I love Lucinda I can't wait to play with her a bit more! Although I'm not sure what to do with her yet._

_Laplandgurl: Welcome to the story, it's always nice to see a fresh face! Lol I hope that the next load of chapters keep you on the edge of your seat. I'm glad you enjoy Carmen, this story is one of the one's I've enjoyed writing the most. Thank you for reviewing! If you need any help with anything let me know and I'll try to help the best I can!_


	68. Chapter 68: Impact

Chapter Sixty Eight

_Well if Lady Luck gets on my side  
We're gonna rock this town alive  
I'll let her rough me up  
Till she knocks me out  
She walks like she talks,  
And she talks like she walks_

_Ricky Martin – She Bangs_

Flack

Flack was sitting across from Papa Messer, his eyes intent on the six foot tall Italian. Papa Messer was clean shaven, his sleek dirty blond hair was combed away from his face. His eyes were the colour of melted chocolate, watching as Flack shifted uncomfortably.

They were sitting in the Captain's office, providing as much privacy as Papa Messer required.

"You want another cup of coffee?" Flack sighed, trying to focus his attention on the task at hand.

Papa Messer shook his head.

"Mr Messer…" Papa Messer's husky voice cut Flack off.

"I've told you before Don call me Reggie," Papa Messer wagged his finger while he spoke.

"Right…Reggie." Flack leaned on the table. "We need to talk."

"What's on your mind?" Papa Messer asked, looking guarded.

"Look, me and Danny have been friends for a long time and I think its time to tell him the truth about his mother," Flack implored to the older man.

Papa's eyes fixed on him, suddenly turning steely.

"I believe part of the deal was for neither of my sons to find out about the fact Lucinda's alive," Papa Messer reminded Flack pointedly.

"Mr Messer…"

"Reggie," Papa Messer corrected.

"Reggie, Danny needs to know this; it's not fair for you to keep this a secret from him. He deserves to know…"

Papa Messer jumped to his feet, slamming his palms down on the desk and staring down at the younger man scornfully.

"If I find out that Danny knows anything about this, you can forget this whole deal. Lucinda will walk free and I will disappear off the map, are you hearing me Detective?"

Flack's cornflower blue eyes narrowed at the older man as he ground his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Loud and clear, Mr Messer, loud and clear."

-------------------------------

The pavement was bristling with people as Hawkes and I stepped onto the sidewalk moving towards the deli on the corner.

"So you and Flack are ok? I heard you had some sort of conflict in the AV Lab," Hawkes remarked as he got into the queue, leading into the deli.

"Yea, thank God the AV Lab is soundproof," I returned, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my foot impatiently.

I raked my hands through my hair pushing it out of my face. Hawkes gaze was fixed on something behind me as I asked him what he was getting.

"Hello, Hawkes, can you hear me?" I asked waving my hand in front of his face.

Hawkes gave me a concerned glance.

"Carmen, I don't want to alarm you, but that guy in the black with the sunglasses has been following us since we left the station and he's not lining up for the deli." I stared at Hawkes surprised.

Hawkes grabbed my arm gently and artfully twisted my body in the general direction of the guy he'd spotted.

"Right there…" Hawkes was pointing towards the menus, yet his gaze focused on the guy whose head just turned away from us.

I took in what I could see of the back of his head. Light brown hair underneath a black baseball cap. A dark hoodie and sun glasses. It was cloudy outside.

I turned back to face Hawkes.

"I think I've seen him before," I commented thoughtfully.

The idea niggled at me for a minute, a face almost in view but then it was gone. I heard the click of a camera, something that made me snap into action. That guy was definitely my stalker. I was already on the move; I was pushing through the crowd of people on the sidewalk towards him.

"Carmen, wait!" Hawkes called into the crowd. I ignored him.

I could see the stalker's head searching for me over the tops of other people's heads. He spotted me as I moved towards him quickly. Realizing I was on to him, the stalker broke into a run in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Stop NYPD!" I screamed across the crowd as I broke into a sprint. My heart was racing, my adrenaline pumping as I raced through the streets, shouldering people out the way.

I was catching up, my hand practically inches away from brushing the fabric of his hoodie as he led us into traffic. He dodged around a car as I slid over the hood of another. I lunged for him as I slipped off the hood… I almost had him.

The impact was instantaneous. My body was twisting as the car hit me, throwing me up onto the hood. I hit the ground shrieking in pain and clutching my left shoulder, in utter agony.

"Carmen, lie still…" Hawkes's soothing hands pushed me back down as I tried to get up.

"Get him," I moaned through grinding teeth. The pain in my shoulder was making me feel sick, the fact the rest of body was aching as nothing compared to my shoulder.

"He's already gotten into a cab," Hawkes told me stripping off his jacket and slipping it under my head.

"My shoulder…" I whined.

"I think you may have dislocated it when you hit the car," Hawkes said calmly as he continued to check me over.

"It hurts like hell," I cried, tears running down my face. There were sirens in the background. Hawkes brushed the hair away from my forehead.

"You're going to be ok." Hawkes's cool voice reassured me.

"The ambulance is here; I'll call Mac from the hospital and let him know what's happened," Hawkes informed me.

I knew I was in good hands as Hawkes barked at the paramedics and they began to help me up in order to get me into the ambulance, as I cradled my immobile arm.

_**I have been dying to post this chapter; it's the beginning of a succession of action packed chapters. So enjoy! And yes I am supposed to be doing my 1000 Evil Assessment.**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol I make my house mate do my sewing she's really good! Lol You get to see a bit more of Flack and Cory talking later. It's hard to get all the chars involved in doing stuff at the same time. Lol Work was dull as usual. I'm working tomorrow too but if I finish or even start this assignment I may be able to sneak in some writing time. Look forward to celebrate the end of you having to hand stuff in!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I well will be its just the way I am, I have some plot bunnies but we will have to see what happens with this story. Lol I haven't even thought about what Thomas would do as a job. Lol I think your right, I love the excitement that my chars bring. I love the no boundaries rule! You will find out in the next few chapters who it was. I love the fact Carmen can not get past the idea it was Lucinda Garvey, Flack just rolling his eyes at her. Lol I will not have fun but I will try!_

_Maddy Bellows: Here's the beginning of a few action packed chapters. Lol I wanted to show how happy Flack was to see his son again and to acknowledge the fact he needs help with the case. Lol I wish I could write it on her! It's not too many words so it should be easy. Lol This is where the muses started to go crazy._

_Daisyangel: lol I loved writing it, I always though that it would be hard writing Flack in a father role because I've always seen him as the Detective, but it's nice to see a different side to his character. This is the beginning of where the bunnies went crazy._


	69. Chapter 69: Incapacitated

Chapter Sixty Nine

_I'm here so please explain  
Why you're opening up a healing wound again  
I'm a little more careful  
Perhaps it shows  
But if I lose the highs, at least I'm spared the lows  
Bridge  
Now I tremble in your arms  
What could be the harm  
To feel my spirit calm_

_Will Young – Leave Right Now_

Flack

Flack was in a state of shock as he strolled towards the glass doors of the huge hospital. It had barely been three days since they'd spoken about the amount of times she'd been in hospital over the past seven years and the next thing he knew she'd been hit by a car.

Hawkes had called him literally as he'd gotten out of the meeting with Papa Messer to inform him of Carmen's accident. Hawkes had to rush away to the Crime Lab to cover Carmen's shift.

Flack shook his head as he paced through the double doors and nearly walked smack into the woman in question. Carmen was clutching an ice pack against her shoulder as she hunched over in her seat.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! What is wrong with you Princess? I leave you alone for five minutes and you're jumping in front of cars?" Flack exclaimed, standing right in front of her, hands on his hips.

Carmen raised her head to meet his gaze before rising to her feet.

"Hey honey, nice to see you too," she snorted in response. "Don't worry about me and my separated shoulder."

Flack watched his wife for a moment, taking in the grazes up her arms and awkwardness in the way she moved.

"Hawkes said that you were chasing some guy that had been following you," Flack commented.

"I was until some idiot hit me with his car…" Carmen let out a sigh before correcting herself. "It was pretty much my fault I slid across the hood of a car into the path of another one. I didn't see him and he didn't see me until it was too late and the only thing I can tell about the guy whose been stalking me is that he has light brown hair."

Carmen looked downtrodden as she slinked past the reception desk. Flack decided to take pity on her. He wrapped his arm around her waist gently before guiding her towards the automatic doors that led to the exit.

"What am I going to do with you?" he muttered in resignation as they stepped outside into the street.

Carmen paused before turning to face him with a small smile on her face.

"You're going to take me home and run me a hot bath," she informed him. Flack leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

"Do you promise not to run out in front of any cars? That sort of stuff sets a bad example to our son you know," Flack commented.

Carmen rolled her eyes as they moved to opposite sides of the car.

"You know this is the first time I've actually been hit by a car. I mean I've been shot, stabbed, almost blown up, but this is definitely a first for me," Carmen told Flack thoughtfully, wincing as she climbed into the car.

"Well, don't get too used to it," Flack said seriously as he followed suit.

Carmen gave him a wearily glance as he fastened his seat belt and started the car engine.

"Oh trust me, I don't intend to it ever again," Carmen responded, resting her head against window.

"So, is the shoulder the worst of your injuries?" Flack asked, as he reversed the car out of the parking lot.

"Apparently so, I'll be fragile for a week or so though. My whole body is bruised and the only thing they can do for the shoulder is give me pain killers and ice packs. Mac's already put me on lab work." Carmen groaned.

"Sounds like it'll keep you out of trouble." Flack pointed out.

"What you're not saying is because I seem to attract it like a honey pot," Carmen frowned sourly before changing the subject. "Did you get a chance to speak to Papa Messer?"

Flack's expression hardened.

"He didn't go for it, he says the deals off if Danny find out. Unfortunately I can't do that, we have no case without him." Carmen's eyes strayed to Flack, it was clear he was frustrated by the whole situation.

Carmen reached out and patted Flack's knee gently.

"Trust me, we will figure this out," she uttered as Flack parked the car.

"I damn hope so, because I don't know how much more of this I can take," Flack admitted, looking down at his hands.

Carmen undid her seatbelt and snuggled up against Flack the best she could in the front seats of the car.

"How about you and me go upstairs and forget anyone else exists?" Carmen asked seductively.

A deep, fiery kiss was Flack's answer.

---------------------------------

Flack had helped me change into a black strap top and comfortable jeans before he'd been called to another scene. My hair was still damp from the shower that we'd taken together, it hung loose down my back due to the fact I couldn't move my left shoulder more than a few inches up and down yet.

There was a heavy knocking on the door, surprising me as I tried to spoon cereal into my mouth. My eyes fell on to my Glock lying on the kitchen table, next to my badge. Flack had had to help take them off too. I picked up the gun in my good hand and moved towards the door, peering through the spy hole. After everything that had happened recently, I was taking no chances, especially not in my current state.

Seeing who it was, I let out a deep sigh of relief, before slipping the gun onto the cabinet next to the door and then opening the door with one hand.

I held I open for Matt before closing it again.

"Let me guess you're here for protection," I said, before turning to face him, raising an eyebrow.

"You're more than vulnerable at the moment and Flack called me specifically," Matt informed me crossing his arms over his chest.

At least Flack wasn't harbouring any jealousies about mine and Matt's past it seemed. Matt's eyes were focused on my feet, a wry smile spreading across his face.

"What?"

"I never pegged you for a pink fluffy slippers kinda girl," he told me shaking his head with a warm smile.

I rolled my eyes at this as Matt's eyes fell on the half eaten cereal bowl on the work surface.

"Are you eating cereal at six o'clock in the evening?" Matt asked, somewhat alarmed.

"It's the only food I can just about make with my shoulder the way it is at the moment," I growled.

Matt shook his head at me sympathetically before clearing the bowl away and tugging out some pans before checking out my fridge.

"I'll rustle you up something," he said thoughtfully, before taking several items out of the fridge.

I eyed him wearily as he started taking things out of packets.

"Not that I'm not grateful or anything, but aren't you supposed to be at the hospital soon?" I asked, slipping into my usual seat at the kitchen table.

"Taylor and Gus don't go into surgery for a few more hours yet, so I had some time to spare. Danny's going to take over when I have to leave, so you're not going to be on your own," Matt told me simply.

I stared at him, slightly unnerved by the turn of events that was transpiring.

"You guys certainly have this organised," I commented.

"You got hit a car today rendering you a little more vulnerable than you usually are. I know it must be driving you insane having to have someone with you all the time, but your definitely being followed and until this is cleared up you and Thomas are at risk. It wasn't that long ago my car blew up in front of your apartment building, and I don't think that was a coincidence do you?"

Matt unfortunately was making a valid point.

"How's your back doing?" I asked quietly, thinking about the events of the past week.

"It's healing, they had to give me stitches but it doesn't hurt as much. How's Thomas doing?" Matt replied, searching for evidence of the toddler around the apartment.

"He's at Don's parents. I wouldn't be able to cope with him and my shoulder tonight. Hopefully the pain will have died off a little by then, besides Flack's home tomorrow; we're going to visit Taylor and Gus." I said, watching as Matt threw various things into a pan.

"Taylor would like that, I think she feels a bit out of the loop being stuck at hospital at the minute despite the fact I've been filling her in on everything. I'm glad the ghosts seem to be taking a time out too though; the last things she needs is to be seeing a dead person standing next to her when she's about to undergo surgery," Matt confided, looking relieved.

"I don't blame her; hospitals are horrible places at the best of times. I think that will be Maddy and Aiden working their magic. She needs a bit of a break anyway to be honest, shame it involves surgery though," I remarked as Matt took some plates out of the overhead cupboards.

"Nice to see that you and Flack resolved your differences, you had us all a little scared for a while there," Matt told me, dishing up our meal onto the plates he'd set out.

I gave him a pointed look before picking up the fork with my good hand.

"How do you think I felt? I'd be a thirty something with two divorces under her belt," I reminded him.

Matt chuckled, dropping into his own seat opposite me and starting to eat. I gazed down at my plate, realizing something.

"You are so sweet," I giggled. "You cut my food into little chunks because I can't use a knife."

Matt blushed and tried to give me a masculine shrug. I chewed happily, yet my thoughts kept turning to the guy I'd been chasing today and why I thought I'd seen him before.

"Are you ok?" Matt asked me quietly, his hazel eyed were on my face intently.

I met his eyes distracted, before looking down ay my plate.

"I keep thinking I've seen the guy I was chasing before, but I can't place him. I only got a look at the back of his head really, but there must have been something I recognized about him. I just can't shake the feeling I know him," I admitted, stabbing at my food.

"It could be anyone you've met along the way, off a case, at a deli…That's the thing about stalkers, they could be someone you've barely made any real connection with but they hook onto a word you say or something you do and then before you know it you're in this situation," Matt reminded me.

I let out another sign before nodding my agreement.

"I know your right…" The ringing of the phone cut me off. I rose to my feet and moved to pick it up.

"It's probably one of the guys calling to check on me," I commented, rolling my eyes at the idea.

I pressed the 'talk' button and held the cordless phone against my ear as I settled back into my seat.

"Detective Devine?" The voice as rich and velvety, which seemed odd to me.

"Speaking," I stated, eyeing my bottle of pain killers on the work surface. My shoulder was beginning to throb again.

"It's about your husband…" I almost dropped the phone.

"Is he ok?! What happened?" My first thought was that this was the hospital, because Flack had been injured.

"For now…we need to talk…He's a bad man Detective Devine and I have the evidence to prove it to you," the voice told me, jeering.

"Who the hell are you?!" I shouted into the phone. Matt was out of his seat and standing next to me, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Meet me outside Wolfram and Jacob's on Thirty-Fifth in an hour and come alone." The bastard hung up as I opened my mouth.

"That son of a bitch!" I snarled, slamming the phone down on the kitchen table.

"What the hell was that about?" Matt exclaimed, his arms were folded across his chest and I recognized his game face.

"That crazy stalker guy has somehow got hold of our number and apparently has some evidence that Flack is a bad man." I put my able hand to my head, feeling a head ache coming on. "He wants me to meet him outside Wolfram and Jacob's on Thirty-Fifth."

I was already moving towards my jacket that was thrown on the back of the couch.

"What are you doing?" Matt growled as I struggled to out my jacket on.

"I am ending this once and for all, I'm sick of having to watch my back. If Flacks is in trouble I want to see what we're dealing with." I argued.

My eyes were on Matt's pleading.

"Fine, but you're not going alone." Matt gave in helping me into my jacket.

I winced in pain trying to insert my arm into the sleeve.

"He said to come alone," I stated frowning. Matt gave me a sceptical look before shaking his head.

"There is not a chance in hell I am letting you go meet the guy who got you run over today alone, especially not with that shoulder. Do you know what Flack and Taylor would do to me?!" he snapped at me, slipping on his own jacket.

Matt had also just reminded me of what Flack may actually do to me if I met the stalker alone.

"Well, can you stay in the shadows or something," I asked, grabbing my gun and badge before slipping them into my handbag.

Matt was staring at me in disbelief.

"Did you really just ask me that? Do I look like Batman?" he shook his head trying not to laugh at my proposal.

I rolled my eyes at him before heading for the door.

"Hey, I don't remember a Wolfram and Jacob's on Thirty Fifth." Matt said thoughtfully as we stepped out into the corridor. I locked the door before we began our trip towards the elevator.

"It used to be another set of lawyers offices before than called Hartland and Hartland, they went bust and a rival band of lawyers bought it about a year ago and changed to Wolfram and Jacob's; they have some weird wolf statue that actually looks like it's leaping onto the sidewalk now," I informed him, remembering this from a past case way back.

I pressed the button on the panel, calling for the elevator before turning to face Matt. His face had gone pale as something occurred to him.

"No it couldn't be…" he uttered, shaking his head as we stepped into the elevator.

"Matt?" I questioned, pushing the button for the ground floor.

He looked at me in a state of shock.

"I think I know who your stalker is."

_**Here's another chapter for you all. I finally finished that assignment; it was as hard as hell but yay! I can move onto the six million other essays I have to do! Final year in uni is a bitch! On a brighter note my DVD of Miracle finally came through the post!**_

_Sparkycsi: lol I remember making that list to see how many times she'd been injured or in hosp over the course of both stories and it was horrendous. I think because dhe reacts more than she thinks she's more liable to end up in hospital. Lol I am horrible to my chars! I'll take a look at what you've written later today._

_Katiedid13: I'm glad you liked it, it came completely out of the blue._

_Bluehavan4220: Prepare for action! Lol the idea about the car came out of nowhere. You're on your way to finding out who the stalker is. How'd the sewing go?_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I kind of have an idea of what everyone's futures are now lol separated shoulder is different from a dislocation and it takes less time to heal. Hence why I went with that instead. Lol she does hate the time off!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I wanted the impact to be a surprise. Lol you worked out who it is yet? I'm glad your getting swept away with this._

_JoanneF: lol that's what I was thinking there needed to be some sort of conflict because their not the type of people to back down for something they believe in. lol I hate happy utopian couples too esp in other peoples stories. Lol I like them being realistic because the way chars should be written. I bow to your applause. Thank you!_

_Sanghian: She slid off the hood of one car and into the path of anther. You have to agree she's pretty persistant. Your poor brother!_


	70. Chapter 70: A Case of Mistaken Identity

Chapter Seventy

_Bird's eye, _

_I got a clear view, _

_Y__ou can't see me _

_B__ut I can see you_

_Akon – I Wanna Love You_

Thirty-Fifth was apparently deserted this time of day. Darkness was just setting in cross the sky, casting silhouettes of every building on the block. I waited, impatiently tapping my foot against the side walk underneath the marble emblem of the wolf.

I checked my watch, I'd arrived ten minutes before I needed to be here and I'd been waiting twenty. I sighed, turning my back on the glass doors that were the entrance to the building. That's when I saw him.

A figure was treading towards me, his face still shadowed by the lack of lamp light. He was wearing a long brown trench coat and in his hand was a small folder.

"Detective Devine, it's nice to see you again, I just wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

I narrowed my eyes, studying the face of the man in front of me.

"Dresden, what are you dragging me out here for?" I asked wearily.

Dresden looked me up and down before his doe brown eyes focused on my shoulder.

"Don't worry it's only separated, I didn't get hurt too badly," I informed him.

"You were never meant to get hurt and neither was your son," Dresden told me.

"Wait, was it you that set that car bomb?!" I exclaimed feeling rage rush through me.

"The kid wasn't supposed to be with him when that car blew up. I was doing it for you. Here, I brought evidence of what he's been doing to you," Dresden told me flipping open the folder.

I was utterly and totally befuddled by this turn of events. The fact that Dresden had turned out to be the stalker, and he was waving a file of pictures in my face, was making me confused and somewhat angry.

"This is what your husband has been doing this weekend." He flipped the folder open to reveal several photographs in plastic wallets.

They were all pictures of Matt and Taylor doing different things. On some of them Taylor and Matt were kissing, on others they were simply doing things together. I tilted my head to Dresden.

"Why are you showing me pictures of Matt and Taylor?" I asked confused. Dresden frowned.

"This is the woman he's been sleeping with; here's a picture of her comforting you at the hospital."

"Why have you been taking all of these?" I asked flicking through the pictures disturbed. I knew Dresden's eyes were on my face watching my reaction.

"To show you what he's been doing…I couldn't let him get away with this anymore," Dresden told me softly. I looked at him incredulously.

"Get away with what? You told me that you had proof that my husband was involved in something. All you're showing me are pictures of Matt and Taylor." Apparently it was Dresden's turn to stare to me in disbelief.

"He tried to ruin my life; I didn't want him to ruin yours." Dresden's hand was on my good arm now. Alarm rushed through me as his eyes met mine. His grip tightened.

"I don't understand why you're showing me this…" Dresden cut me off.

"He was cheating on you, behind your back and you didn't know. I tried to tell you, but you didn't understand and then I decided to do something about it. The car bomb was meant to hurt him not your child; I was doing this because he's ruined so many lives."

"I don't know what you're talking about but when you let go of my arm I am going to hurt you so badly…" I shoved him away from me, he lost his grip on my arm before staring at me reproachfully, the folder slipping from his hand and hitting the ground.

"It would appear he thinks you're my wife," Matt said stepping out of the shadows. I whirled to face Dresden, glaring.

"Is this true?" I growled at Dresden. He at least had the decency to look away.

"What on earth would make you think that?" I roared, trying to look threatening.

"Think about it," Matt said, his eyes never left Dresden.

I started to think about all if the times Dresden had seen me and Matt together, firstly at the ball, right through past the trial. Dresden had never been introduced to Flack either.

"So all of this, nearly killing Thomas and me getting hit by a car was because you thought that Matt and I were married? Did you do any research at all on either of us?" I ranted, utterly mystified in regards to how this had all happened.

"I saw you together, all the time…" Dresden snarled through clenched teeth.

"He was assigned to me by my boss because of you…Oh My God you had better be glad that I can only use one arm at the minute!" I yelled infuriated. "I can not believe you did this. You almost killed my son, your fucking lucky he wasn't killed Dresden otherwise you'd be six feet under."

Dresden wasn't even looking at me; Matt and him had locked gazes.

"I warned you about messing with her Dresden; you've dug your own grave with this. You'll be out of a job and looking at your future from behind bars," Matt told Dresden stonily shaking his head.

Dresden was already lunging at Matt before I could do a thing about it.

"You did this, you ruined me!" he was screaming as Matt grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and then kicked the back of his legs so he fell to his knees.

"You did this to yourself," Matt spat. "I warned you to back off and then you started all this stalker shit. If anyone's to blame it's you because you couldn't let go of the past."

I watched them feeling abstract from the whole surreal event. I still couldn't wrap my head around the whole thing. Matt was cuffing Dresden now and dragging him to his feet.

I took this opportunity to call for a squad car to come pick Dresden up.

"Are you ok?" Matt asked, from over Dresden's head.

I nodded, suddenly feeling cold. My shoulder was hurting again, but the thing that haunted me was the fact that Thomas had almost been killed for no reason and the worst part was Dresden didn't even seem apologetic. Even now he was still standing there smirking and looking cocky.

When the squad car turned up, I held the door open with one hand as Matt forced Dresden into it.

"Do you mind handling this? I want to get to the hospital to see Taylor before she goes in for the surgery," Matt asked quietly. He looked drained.

"I'll let the sergeant know that you'll be in to make a statement later," I told him, clasping his shoulder with my good hand. "Tell her I said hi?"

"Of course…" Matt went to turn away before turning back to say something. "Look I'm sorry about all this, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, if I'd had any idea that Dresden was this unstable I would have told you. After the case I didn't see him as a threat, I should of known he wouldn't be able to let it go."

"Don't worry about it; you didn't make Dresden do those things he acted on his own accord," I said openly. "You go; I'll take care of this."

Matt nodded before hailing down a cab.

"You wanna ride Detective?" Officer Lily was leaning out the window of his patrol car and smiling up at me. I returned the smile before walking around to the other side of the patrol car.

"Don't mind if I do, Officer Lily." With that I climbed in and we began the short drive to the station house.

---------------------------------

"Are you ok?" Flack's hand was rubbing my back soothingly as we both watched Dresden being led away towards the cells.

Mac had been waiting in the reception area of the station, it appeared Matt had called him on the way to the hospital. He was walking Dresden towards the cells, looking solemn.

"I think so…I just can't believe that this all stemmed form one huge mistake," I told him, shaking my head sadly. "Thomas almost died and he doesn't even seem sorry."

It was clear that Flack was also having trouble understanding the logic behind the whole thing himself.

"The important thing is that you're safe. I can't believe he didn't realize we were married though," Flack said shaking his head.

"Matt was there more than you were. He must have just drawn it off the fact Matt was always with me and then let it run away with him." I sighed, watching as Mac returned, marching up to the both of us.

"How are you doing?" Mac asked, studying me deeply.

I shrugged, before leaning against Flack, whose arm was now wrapped around my shoulders. He was being very careful not to touch my damaged one.

"I'm happier now that I know he's behind bars and that I can actually be in the house alone now," I admitted.

"We'll be interrogating him tomorrow morning. Now I know you want to be in on it…" He silenced me by raising his hand. "But you're too close to the case, but I'll let you watch from behind the mirror so long as you promise me you'll relax tonight."

I gave Mac a grateful smile.

"I'll see what I can do," I murmured, checking my watch and twisting towards Flack.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" I remarked pointedly. Flack checked his own watch and nodded.

"I wanted to make sure you were ok first. You want me to drop you off first?"

"Please, all I want to do right now is climb into bed and forget any of this ever happened," I informed him.

"I'll be expecting you, nine o'clock sharp," Mac told me, as he backed away from the two of us.

"I'll be there," I shot back. Flack wrapped his arm around my waist and began leading me out of the station.

The journey to our apartment was filled with a comfortably silence, all I wanted to do was climb into bed and sleep the night away. Flack pulled up outside our apartment building as I opened the door he spoke.

"I'll tell Gus you said hi," Flack leaned across the passenger seat of the car as I unclipped my seatbelt.

"Thanks. I'll be there to visit her tomorrow, I just…I need some time to process everything. I just need a good night's sleep," I told him honestly.

"I understand," he told me genuinely. "I'll be home in a few hours time. You get some rest."

He kissed me chastely. I closed the car door and walked into the apartment building, knowing Flack was watching my back until I climbed into the elevator giving him a small finger wave.

_**Good Morning Peeps! sips tea. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it's always lovely to open your inbox to a whole bunch of reviews! I should probably start some dissertation work today if the plot bunnies ever leave me alone.**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: How come your school as crap timing? Lol that must be a real pain for you. Lol You know what Carmen's like anyway, she probably would beat the stalker up if she thought she'd get away with it. Maybe you can work on your stories and read during your hols!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol Your gonna make my head get too big! I just way backtracked through SD and in chapter 82, Carmen puts some papers down on the table and tells Stella abut a write up Taylor did on the serial, it then goes into a little background about how they know each other. She features in a few chapters after that but becomes a main char when it comes to her meeting Matt. How come you wanted to know? Lol I'm being curious._

_Laplandgurl: lol I wanted to get a little Angel reference in there ( I know it's too diff cities but I thought Wolfram and Hart would be a chain, and I did change It a little.) I've done it before with a CSI Miami reference in SD. I think you're the only one that noticed. In response to your question, I think it's due to the fact it takes fan fiction a little while to update, if you tried going on the page a few hours later your story would be up there somewhere, it's just a mater of waiting. Yet people who have you on alerts will be able to access it immediately. Hope this helps. FF used to confuse the hell out o me until I started asking people._

_Bluehavan4220: lol was your theory correct? You get to find out how much of a naughty man Dresden really is in the next chapter. Lol I love Matt as a char, he's based on the guy who plays Caplin out of Res Evil! Lol I love him to pieces. At the end of the day he is a nice guy, but he's pretty protective of his friends._

_Daisyangel: lol that statue is referenced in SD when Carmen and Flack are following the trail that the lady gave them. Lol You guessed right and you'll get to see how bad he is in the next chapter._

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for getting that back. I loved what you added; it makes a little more sense now. I have not watched Miracle yet unfortunately but I will get around to it hopefully. I really want to. Lol hope your allergies get better!_


	71. Chapter 71: Pre Op

Chapter Seventy One

_When the sun shines  
We'll shine together  
Told you I'll be here forever  
Said I'll always be your friend  
Took an oath  
I'll stick it out 'till the end  
Now that it's raining more than ever  
Know that we still have each other  
You can stand under my Umbrella_

_Rihanna – Umbrella_

Matt

This wing of the hospital was quiet and he wasn't used to it. Matt strolled though the corridor and eventually reached the room in which Taylor was staying. The events of tonight were still swirling around his head. The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place when Carmen had uttered the words Hartland and Hartland. It was just like Dresden to try and bring some misplaced justice to the table. Hartland and Hartland had been the company that had fired Dresden after news of his scandal had broken. He had to bring the history into it, just to clarify that he was in the right. Poetic justice he called it.

Matt knew he was still in a state of disbelief, firstly in the case of Dresden's action and secondly at his reasoning for choosing Carmen as a target. He could see from an objective view how it may have looked, that him and Carmen were a couple. With Flack away he was at her place constantly, he'd been there for support when Flack could not. It was no secret that the two of them were close; they always had been since the academy, which was a bonding experience in itself.

When he'd first met her in the academy, his feelings for Carmen at first had been of a romantic nature, she was beautiful and strong, he liked that in a woman. Matt was the first to notice things about her that he knew the other recruits hadn't been aware of. He recognized the signs, flinching when she was surprised, the deep-set tension in her body when anyone had gotten too close. It was easy to see a victim when you yourself had been a victim. His father had began the beatings when Matt had turned twelve, they stopped four years later after his growth spurt and when he'd made it onto the school football team.

Gradually Carmen had let him in, she never told him that her ex-husband used to hit her from time to time but he could tell, and when she eventually confided about the night her ex had beat her almost to death, he didn't feel sympathy, instead he felt admiration at her immense courage to stand up against him. Maybe that's what drove him to kiss her that night. Carmen spent all of her time hiding the secret of her past, and he knew she trusted him impeccably when she chose to open up. One kiss led to another and before they knew it, they were making tender, passionate love.

They were both surprised the next morning to find themselves in bed with each other. He would always remember the killer headache that plagued him from the drinking that had commenced the night before. Carmen had told him there and then that she could not commit, the scars from her previous marriage were too fresh to allow her to fall again. Matt accepted this and from that moment his feelings began to blossom into something much more fulfilling. They'd developed a much stronger bond, in the form of friendship.

In turn, through Carmen he'd met the woman of his dreams. Matt had known the minute he'd laid eyes on Taylor Turner that she was the woman for him. After his divorce he was cold and indifferent to women, he'd been cut deeply by Elena's betrayal. Matt had never really let a woman get close after that, he found himself unable to allow himself to feel anything more than friendship for them. Which was why he was so surprised when he met Taylor Turner.

He remembered being in the elevator in the hospital, going to visit Carmen after she'd been shot in the chest during the raid which he had been leading. He found himself checking out the girl next to him, something that he hadn't done in years. She was stunning.

She was tall, with a slim figure, curves in all the right places. Her straight jet black, fell past her shoulders and he was surprised to find her dark eyes were on him. There was something about her…A spark lit up inside him and they were talking as if they'd known each other for years.

Taylor's eyes were on him as he stepped into the room, her mouth in a sulky pout.

"You're late," she told him, pointing at the clock.

He knew she was nervous about the operation, which is why he promised he'd arrive two hours earlier; unfortunately the event with Dresden had made him late.

"I thought you weren't coming," she said softly. He could tell from her voice that she was scared and the idea of him not coming had unnerved her even more.

Matt pulled her into a loving embrace, kissing her forehead and then the top of her head.

"I wouldn't do that to you Beautiful, I know how important it is for me to be here." He stroked her hair soothingly as he spoke.

Taylor held him tightly, burying her nose into his chest and revelling in the feeling of safety he gave her.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he told her pulling away and slipping into the seat next to her bed.

Taylor took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Matt took her hand, stroking it reassuringly.

"I just wanted to see you before the surgery, I've never really done anything like this before and it's a little scary," Taylor admitted, pushing her hair out of her face.

"The doctors have all bases covered and besides you know I wouldn't let anything happen to you," Matt told her, his lips brushing her hand. "How long have you got until they come to put you under?"

"About fifteen minutes, then I'll be one kidney lighter," she joked, without smiling.

"I have something for you." Matt reached a hand into his pocket a pulled out a ring box.

"I wanted to make the engagement official, and I saw you eyeing this one up when we walked past that jeweller's on Fifth Ave." Matt opened the ring box and held it out to her.

Taylor gasped out loud her eyes on the beautiful ruby, engagement ring in front of her.

"It's beautiful Matt; I can't believe you did this." He took the ring from the box and took her delicate hand.

"Taylor Turner, will you do me the honour of marrying me?" Matt asked again, open and honest.

"You already know that my answer is yes." She grinned as he slipped it onto her finger, it fit snugly.

"Perfect fit. I think that's a sign," he told her blissfully.

Taylor couldn't stop smiling.

"Come here…" she murmured, drawing him close and into a long, intense kiss.

----------------------------------

Gus was flicking through a magazine impatiently when Flack stepped into the room, panting.

"Sorry I'm late, we just arrested the guy whose been stalking Carmen, apparently he thought Matt and her were married hence why he's been stalking her. It turned out to be O'Brian's lawyer."

Gus stared at him open mouthed.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Gus exclaimed, sitting upright in the bed.

"It is pretty surreal," Flack agreed, before pausing to pick up something from the floor. "Well, don't say I'm not a good partner," Flack told her as he lifted up paper bag and opened it.

The scent of freshly baked muffins spread cross the room, practically making them both drool.

"God Flack, you are amazing." Gus uttered reaching for one.

Flack pulled the bag away, shaking his head.

"You have to go in for surgery in ten minutes; these are for afterwards," Flack told her pulling a tongue.

Gus narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're punishing me, aren't you? For leaving you alone in the hands of Sinclair," she accused.

"You can bet on it. Should I eat the blueberry or the chocolate chip first?" he asked innocently.

Flack picked one out of the bag before raising it to his lips.

"You take a bite out of that and I'm going to tell Carmen about the time you and Danny used permanent marker to make Thomas look like Harry Potter," Gus threatened.

Flack stared at her aghast.

"You wouldn't?! I called you in confidence because I couldn't get the permanent marker off his head!"

Gus crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him the death glare.

"You really want to find out?" she responded. Flack let out a deep sigh before dropping the muffin back into the bag and setting it on the table next to the bed.

"You nervous?" he asked leaning forward and studying Gus's face.

"Na, this is a walk in the park compared that time I tried to take down the 6'4 bouncer from that nightclub, remember?" Gus grinned.

Flack let out a laugh as he recalled the image of Gus hurling herself at the guy, and trying to wrestle his legs out from underneath him.

"That was pretty entertaining," he chuckled. Flack's head twisted towards the door as it opened revealing a nurse in surgical scrubs.

"Hi, it's time for your surgery now…I'm going to ask you to leave now sir." The nurse stated politely.

Flack took Gus's hand; she squeezed it tightly before releasing it along with a brave smile.

"I'll be there when you get out sunshine," Flack promised, as the nurse made Gus lay back in the bed.

"You touch those muffins and I'll kill you Flack." Those were her final words as the nurse shut the door in his face.

_**Hi peeps, Maddy Bellows has started a fab community, dedicated to the best OC stories around. We have picked the best one's we've seen so far. You wanna take a peek: ****for me it's chore day and I have been neglecting a lot of my chores, so wish me luck! In other news we had an earthquake last night. It wasn't that large but it was enough to make me bolt upright in bed.**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol it would have been cool for it to have been him, he was so evil. I think he was one of my fav bad guys. Dresden gets worse as a complete bastard! You'll just have to wait and see, but I couldn't believe what my muse came up with._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I loved Officer Lily because he was so sweet with that human statue thing! Lol the thing with adding so many chars is you have o have them doing something whilst you're writing about the others. I don't blame you for going crazy! I'm constantly like what's so and so doing, would this work if so and so is here. Lol I think it's a skill utilizing so many chars. Lol my plot bunnies are doing the same! I think you can definitely do it you have the skill lol (listen to me rambling on.) My dissertation is on how supernatural fiction reflects modern society._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I can not believe that we didn't realize we were both Brits! Good luck with all that work you have! OMG I have the same prob I keep reading other books and not the ones for my course. I'm lazy at the minute._

_DaisyAngel: Yep, he couldn't stand the sight of Matt happy because he feels Matt ruined his life! If you think Dresden's only seen matt and Carmen together and Thomas almost looks like him. The fact Matt and Carmen are so close didn't help. Lol You were absolutely right, it was after him and Carmen had the debate about eye witnesses against evidence, and it turned out his witness was mentally unstable. Lol coincidently I'd already written this chapter about Gus and Tay!_

_Sparkycsi: lol I will terminate Spring for you! Lol it's not a prob I didn't think anyone would get it! Lol You have no idea how relieved I am that the Dresden storyline was over and done with, it was killing me trying to pace it out. Raises a glass. To bigger and better storylines! Lol I know I think I will add a little to that chapter!_


	72. Chapter 72: Bliss

Chapter Seventy Two

_Don't let go of my hand  
Now the darkness is gone  
And this will be our year,  
Took a long time to come._

_And I won't forget the way you held me  
Up when I was down.  
And I won't forget the way you said  
"Darling, I love you."_

_OK Go – This Will Be Our Year_

It was the early hours of the morning by the time I felt Flack climb into bed beside me. His warm body pressed against my back, skin on skin contact. I groaned, leaning back against him as he kissed my neck.

"What time is it?" I murmured, turning to lie on my back looking up at him from the pillow.

His baby blue eyes fastened on mine, as his lips descended into a long slow kiss.

"It's a little past six," he whispered against my lips before kissing them again.

"I have to get up in an hour," I muttered, melting against him as his body pressed against mine. His hand was tracing underneath my pajama top now.

"I can do a lot to you in an hour." He smirked, before burying his face in my neck.

Heat rushed through me as I felt Don loosen the ties on my pajama bottoms. He began to slide them off me gently.

"You are a wicked man, Detective Flack," I uttered, arching against him as his mouth moved lower.

His hands underneath my pajama top now, pushing it upwards so his lips could tease the rest of my body.

I moaned out loud, clutching the quilt tightly as Flack proceeded to give me the best wake up call I'd ever received.

-------------------------

The scent of waffles wafted through the air as I stepped out of the bathroom, a plush white towel wrapped tightly around me, my hair still hanging wet from the shower. I watched as Flack set out the breakfast of toast, waffles and coffee on the dining table. In the center was a small bouquet of yellow daffodils.

"Someone's in a good mood this morning." I grinned from the doorway. Flack's head turned towards me, his eyes taking in every inch of me that wasn't covered.

"If you don't get dressed in the next five minutes, breakfast is going to be getting very cold." He gave me a smoldering look before ushering me into the bedroom.

It took me a lot longer than five minutes to actually get changed. Although the pain in my arm had slackened, it was still stiff and ached fiercely. Apparently that was normal. I popped a pain killer before managing to pull the royal blue V-neck, over my head. It was easier to shimmy into the tight black trousers.

I slipped out of the bedroom and dropped into my seat at the breakfast table, automatically digging into my waffles.

"What's this all in aid of?" I asked Flack.

Flack glanced up at me, as he speared his own waffles. His face was radiating happiness.

"Do I need a reason to treat my wife?" he teased.

"Definitely not," I replied blissfully. "I take it things went well at the hospital last night?"

Flack nodded his head and chewed for a few seconds before answering.

"The operation was successful, they need to keep an eye on Gus to make sure her body doesn't reject the kidney, Taylor seemed in high spirits when I left last night. She asked me to ask you if you can bring a list with you. I think she's going to plan the wedding in the next few weeks and she'd like a little help on what needs doing and stuff," Flack told me, taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"That's definitely not a problem, I'm sure I have some stuff that may help her out somewhere," I said thoughtfully trying to remember what had got thrown out when Flack and Danny had gutted the study to make it Thomas's bedroom.

"I'm probably going to visit them this afternoon after my shift and then pick up Thomas on the way back from your parent's house," I said, taking a swig of my own coffee.

Flack nodded his approval.

"Mom called me last night and told me he was playing hide and seek with Dad and they couldn't find him for a while. It turns out he'd fallen asleep behind the couch. They thought he'd gotten out of the house and were going to call the NYPD until they realized they could hear these little snores coming form the couch." I sniggered along with Flack, knowing Thomas's affinity for falling asleep in warm closed spaces.

I checked my watch before rising to my feet.

"I better leave now or I'll be late," I sighed, wanting to stay home with Flack today.

"You watching the interrogation?" Flack asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

He watched me struggle with my jacket for a moment before standing up to help me pull it on.

"Yep, apparently Dresden's been trying to cut some form of deal since last night. I'm curious to what he thinks he can offer us," I informed Flack.

Flack rolled his eyes as he reached out and fixed my collar.

"I don't think the "I thought she was his wife" defense is really going to stand up for him. Neither will the whole "he ruined my life three years ago" excuse. Dresden is going down for attempted murder at least. Danny was telling me they managed to match a hair they found in the bomb mechanism to him. Dresden is going to be going down for a very long time. On top of that that he can't even plead temporary insanity because it was a malicious preempted act." Flack kissed me on the forehead as I gazed up at him. "So you have nothing to worry about."

"I just want to make sure he gets what he deserves," I told Flack honestly.

"I know," he uttered before leaning in and brushing my lips gently with his.

We stood there like that, arms wrapped around each other, kissing for a long time before I pulled away reluctantly, checking my watch again.

"I'm late, I gotta run. I'll see you later tonight," I called, as I grabbed my handbag and slipped it onto my right shoulder before running out of the door.

----------------------------

"See Mac, she's sweet. She even brought us coffee," Danny exclaimed walking over to me as I carried the tray of Starbucks coffees one handed.

"In your dreams Messer, these are for Mac and Hawkes, you…" I scowled. "Are off shift now."

Danny tilted his head and pouted.

"I've been working all night I'll have you know…" he squabbled.

"But you have to go for a run and then get to spend a nice day off with your girlfriend whilst we get to dumpster dive," Hawkes pointed out taking his coffee from the cardboard tray and giving me a grateful smile.

"I think you're definitely getting the better deal here," Mac said deeply, as I handed him his coffee.

"I bet you've been working all night, too," I remarked taking in his creased clothes and the bags under his eyes. Mac shrugged.

"Crime doesn't sleep."

"Crime isn't actually a living being, but Mac Taylor is so therefore after this shift he should go home and sleep," I recommended, slipping from my own cup of Starbucks.

Hawkes hid a snigger behind his cup of coffee as Mac merely blinked at me.

"I'll catch you all later," Danny broke into the silence, giving us all a friendly wave before traipsing off down the corridor.

"Is it still ok if I watch from behind the mirror? I promise I won't go barging in or anything," I said to Mac, who was preoccupied by attempting to mop up the coffee that was leaking form his cellophane cup.

"You'll be on your best behavior? Because I can't have you compromising this," Mac laid down the rules for me.

"I promise."

"Have you heard any news on Gus?" was his next question.

"She's stable; the operation went smoothly for them both. They're just waiting to see if the kidney is accepted by her body or not. Taylor's already planning her wedding from what I hear, so I think she's doing ok. She understands that things have been hectic around here, Flack's been keeping her up to date on things so don't worry about not being able to visit her yet." I said patting his arm comfortingly.

"I'll probably go pay her a visit tonight, last time I was there she practically forced me to get take away," Hawkes told us, shaking his head.

"She does hate hospital food with a passion," Mac agreed before checking the time.

"I think it's time to bring Dresden in," Mac informed the both of us, setting his coffee cup down and signaling the desk sergeant over.

"I heard he's been trying to cut a deal," Hawkes mentioned, as he drained the last of his coffee.

Mac was gesturing for us to follow him to the interrogation rooms.

"Well, let's go see what he thinks he has to offer," I quipped before following the two of them towards where Dresden was being moved.

_**Ok howdy again to peeps. I've been working major plotlines to the bone, instead of doing uni work cringe . But I also got distracted by Miracle, because let's face it , it is an awesome film, and I've just tried my hand at writing an ff chapter, so we'll see how it goes. So there maybe a Miracle story in the works. I am also spending ages waiting to download Aerosmith! Only 3 reviews am I losing my touch?**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol __someone pointed out at the beginning about how Thomas looked like Harry Potter and I couldn't get the idea out of my head. Hence that line. Lol I thought Matt would be really sweet and do that for her because he's such a nice guy and they are really close. The quake was only 4.8 on the Richter Scale, so it wasn't that bad, and I wasn't really near the epic center. Apparently my friend's wall moved but she lived closer to the epic center than I did. I did bolt up right in bed though and I couldn't figure out why and then ten mins later I got a text form my friend saying did you feel the quake? It must have been that that woke me up._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I have a US beta so she helps me out with some of the US expressions. Lo I'm glad you loving the story I have been making plans for a third installment. I love Torchwood, Poor Owen if you watched the last one!_

_Sparkycsi: lol the earth quake was nothing big, it was a 4.8 and happened at 1am, I think it woke me up but other than that I didn't feel anything. Lol I'd stand in a doorframe if that came about properly. I'd hate to be in a tornado! We don't get quakes often here. Lol I added and wrote ch80 too. You'll have a full inbox._


	73. Chapter 73: Deals With The Devil

Chapter Seventy Three

_I heard your voice through a photograph  
I thought it up and brought up the past  
Once you know you can never go back  
I've got to take it on the otherside._

_Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside_

I was sipping my coffee on the other side of the two-way mirror when Dresden was finally brought into the interrogation room. Mac and Hawkes followed closely behind. The bastard looked as smug as hell as he dropped into the seat that was pulled out from him.

"I thought you'd want to see me," Dresden said openly, his eyes on Mac, gleaming as the older man moved to his own seat.

"We're here to interrogate you over the attempted murder of Matt Sullivan and Thomas Flack, one of which is a minor. On top of these charges stalking and attempted assault have been added. We have the evidence we need to convict you, all this is formality," Mac informed Dresden, paying no attention to his previous statement.

I watched as Dresden leaned over the table, a malicious grin spreading over his sharp features.

"I want to make a deal Taylor," Dresden smirked. "You reduce the sentence, let me keep my job and I'll give you some information, that I'm sure will prove very handy."

Hawkes arms were crossed over his chest as he spoke. His dark eyes taking in the smugness of the criminal in front of him.

"What makes you think you have anything that we might want?" he asked, raising an eyebrow sceptically.

Dresden sneered at Hawkes before answering.

"I know who put a hit on your boss here," Hawkes stared at Dresden trying to depict whether he was lying or not.

Mac's face was expressionless, whilst my jaw had dropped at his words.

"It would be in your best interests to share that information with us, then I'll see what I can do about your requests," Mac told Dresden, his green eyes were on the papers in front of him as he shuffled them.

I knew he was giving the appearance of being disinterested; I also knew that he was playing off Dresden's ego.

"I want my requests dealt with first, then you'll get your information," Dresden demanded, folding his arms over his chest and settling back in his chair.

He was starting to sweat now, he thought he had Mac pegged, and the fact Mac wasn't playing his game was scaring him.

"To be honest Dresden I don't think you have anything of real relevance to tell us…" Mac rose to his feet, closely followed by Hawkes. "You'll be moved to …"

Dresden's eyes were wide with disbelief as Mac began to inform him of the details of impending trial.

"Sonny Sassoon!" he shouted suddenly.

I spat my coffee back into mug at his words, before hastily wiping the luke warm liquid off my chin. To Mac's credit he didn't flinch or blink the way Hawkes did, he merely stared at the other man, his eyebrows furrowing together.

Everyone's eyes were on Mac awaiting his response. He took deliberate slow steps towards Dresden before towering over him.

"What about him?" Mac asked stonily.

"He ordered the hit on you, it was the last thing he did before he lost his leadership of The Tanglewood Boys," Dresden muttered as he stared up at the intimating figure of Mac.

All three of us were stunned by his words, yet as usual Mac didn't show his surprise.

"Why?" Mac asked, nostrils flaring.

"He made some deal with another guy he met in the slammer, the other guy wanted you dead and Sonny said maybe he could see to that if the other guy was to give him a little help of his own," Dresden told Mac, the fear in his eyes was evident.

I had the feeling that Dresden had just pissed off a lot of people who were behind bars.

"Who was the guy and what did Sonny want him to do?" Mac growled, slamming his palms on the desk causing us all to jump.

Dresden closed his eyes trying to pull himself together again. I'd set my coffee cup down long ago. My hand was by my mouth worrisomely as Mac persisted to interrogate Dresden.

"He never mentioned the other guy's name. Sonny wanted him to kill someone. I don't know who, just someone he had beef with from his past."

My heart clenched in my chest at these words. It was undoubtedly known that Sonny had made a lot of enemies but there were two of us that were prime candidates for revenge if Sonny ever got out of prison and I didn't like those odds. I could tell Mac must have been thinking the same thing from the way his mannerisms changed.

"Was it Detective Devine?" Mac asked in a dangerously low tone.

Dresden shook his head, his eyes flickering to Hawkes who was now studying him diligently.

"Nah, it was someone else he was talking about he never gave me a name. I think it was a guy," Dresden informed us.

I closed my eyes for a second, feeling dread beginning to knot in my stomach at the thoughts that were filling my mind.

Hawkes and Mac exchanged glances before returning to face Dresden.

"How do you know all of this?" Hawkes asked sternly.

Good question, I thought, watching as Dresden shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Because the hit went through you didn't it? You were Sonny's lawyer… How much was he paying you to pass messages to the outside world?" Mac spoke his thoughts out loud.

I was looking at Dresden in a new light now. I was absolutely horrified at the fact he's been getting away with this, another idea occurred to me. If he'd been running messages for Sonny who else had he been running messages for?

"A few thousand a pop." Dresden murmured.

It must have occurred to him by now that he was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.

"How many others have you done this for?" Mac was practically yelling at him, there was outrage in his voice.

"Just him, he's the only one that's ever asked." Dresden told us.

I shook my head; we all knew he was lying. Dresden had his finger in all kinds of pies; it was going to be a bastard going through the mess that he'd created.

"How was he expecting this other guy to make good on his part of the deal?" Mac's question was a good one, and one that I had also been contemplating.

"He was getting released soon. Listen, I've told you everything I know. Are we going to make a deal or what?" Dresden demanded.

Mac's expression hardened as leaned forward, his face very close to Dresden's.

"After everything you've done, I am going to make sure that you go to prison for a very long time," Mac snarled before turning on his heel and marching out, Hawkes close behind him.

Dresden's face contorted into one of pure rage, as he smashed his fists on the desk screaming.

"Taylor I thought we had a deal, you won't get away with this!" he roared into the empty room.

I met Mac and Hawkes in the corridor as they strode towards me.

"You think its Danny he's talking about?" was the first question off my lips.

"I think that's a very likely possibility," Mac crossed his arms over his chest.

"The problem is we don't know who it is Sonny made the deal with, or when he's getting out," Hawkes addressed us both.

"Danny's life could be in danger right now! We have to do something!" I was pacing beside them, my hand going to my head.

I spun to face Mac whose mouth was set in a grim line.

"Let me go see Sonny."

Mac was already shaking his head. I met his gaze fiercely.

"It's the only way. I'll be completely safe; he's going to behind a glass screen. Come on Mac you know I'm the only one that can do this. I'm the only person who can put him on edge enough so he might reveal something," I tried to convince Mac.

"She has got a point, if she goes to Riker's maybe Sonny will slip up, it's the only way," Hawkes added.

Mac's eyes met mine; I saw concern etched in them.

"Are you sure? This has to be your decision Carmen. I don't want to push you into this?"

We all met in the corridor.

"Mac, let me go see Sonny, see if I can figure you who this guy is. He loosens up around me; he doesn't see me as a threat."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel you have to do this if you don't want to," Mac told me forcefully.

I shook my head.

"I'm a big girl Mac; there are worse things to fear than Sonny Sassoon," I replied honestly.

Mac studied me for a second.

"The minute you get something call me. We need to move fast on this." I nodded at his words before making a valid point of my own.

"Erm, Mac I can't drive myself to Riker's. My left shoulder still isn't fully functional," I informed him grimly.

"Take Angell, she's just finished a case. She can drive you there and back," Mac told me.

Behind him I saw Hawkes cringe, he knew that things between me and Angell weren't exactly great. Especially after she'd tried to get it on with Flack whilst we were engaged. We had resolved our issues a few months ago, creating an uneasy truce between the two of us. She was still not my Detective of choice.

"Sure," I muttered.

At the moment Angell wasn't my biggest problem, neither was the fact that Sonny would bring up a past that I'd tried so hard to escape.

_**OK I have been a pretty good girl today and done some of my dissertation, and I'll probably work on it during the rest of the day, but I've had to take a break due to staring at my pc too long. Maybe I watched too much of Miracle because I had far too many weird dreams last night. I am also obsessed with Dream On by Aerosmith I can't get enough of the song! **_

_**As usual peeps thanks for the reviews and check out our new OC community with all the best OC stories around, you got any recommendations let a member of staff know. **_

_Bluehavan4220: lol does this chapter answered your question, this is where everything goes crazy as you'll find out in the next chapter. Too bad for Dresden, Mac's gonna make it his personal mission to get him imprisoned. Thanks for all the stuff you've sent so far. I checked out your Miracle story, Vanessa rocks, I haven't had a chance to review yet._

_Katiedid13: lol we'll have to see hoe the Miracle chapter goes I'm having trouble with my char; it's hard to keep reminding myself its set in the 80's and with all those diff chars its hard to play with so many. I'm glad you're enjoying this story though._

_Jaglady: This story stems from another story I wrote called Simply Devine, I'm glad you're liking this so far. Lol I love the idea of Flack as a father figure._

_Sparkycsi: lol I forgot about all the stuff coming up because I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to space out things now. I see what you mean about M1, I tried anew chapter so as always honest opinions. Lol The plot thing gets better, I'll need to work on I a bit more when this is over. Lol have fun writing this weekend!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I watched the BBC3 one too, I felt so sorry for him but I was like come on Owen suck it up and be a man and at the end it's nice to see how his opinion changed. Oh my God, Gwen's wedding day and she looks pregnant! I think the only reason she kissed Jack will be something to do with the fact there's an alien in her body at least her husband to be knows about the alien thing otherwise he's be like WTF! Lol my fandom is the same think I like Ianto and Jack, but I like Gwen and Jack too. Owen's just shagged everyone there I think. Lol You have just made me smile like hell. I'm glad I inspired you to read OC fan fiction, people work really hard on created their own chars, ad I think it shows a different form of creativity to those who work within the main char frame of the usual cast. Lol I feel really proud of myself now, thank you so much!_


	74. Chapter 74: Everything's Connected

Chapter Seventy Four

_Am I the best?  
Well I gotta put it bluntly, yes  
You can't touch me_

_You can check on the rep, yep, second to none  
Check on the rep, second to none, yea_

_Styles of Beyond – Second To None _

I tapped out a small tune on the car window with my knuckles, staring distantly through the windshield. My heart was beating faster each time I caught sight of a landmark that led us closer to Riker's.

"You ok? You've been kind of quiet," Angell said with a sidelong glance at me as she drove.

"It's been a tough week," I muttered, leaning my head back against the head rest.

"I heard. You and Flack doing ok now?" she asked, her dark hair fluttering in the breeze from the open window.

"Why you wanna make another play for him?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at her.

Angell pursed her lips together before speaking. I started feeling guilty when I caught sight of the expression on her face.

"Ok, I deserved that," she replied her eyes still straight ahead on the road.

I shook my head and let out a deep sigh.

"No Angell, you didn't. I'm sorry, I just… we were having problems and now we're not. I'm just a little defensive at the moment," I admitted to her.

Angell gave me a small smile.

"No problem, after the week you've had I kinda expected it," Angell returned.

"You heard about that?" I asked, putting a hand to my head, and resting my elbow on the car door.

"The DA's going nuts at the minute, because of what's going around the papers this morning," Angell informed me.

"Guess it made front page news, huh?"

"They used a good picture of you. It's the one from when you won the O'Brian case." Angell told me.

"They could have used a worse one," I said, not really paying attention.

I was thinking through what Dresden had said, puzzling over the details.

"Who are we going to see in Riker's?" Angell asked giving me a curious look.

"Dresden gave us some information that might lead back to a crime that was committed last year. Someone in Riker's maybe able to tell us more," I told her trying to keep my cards close to my chest.

I didn't want to cause any panic on behalf of Mac and Danny.

"Nice way of avoiding the question," Angell pointed out.

"No offence but I think its need to know until we find out what's going on," I informed her sympathetically, running a hand through my hair.

"We're here," she uttered as she pulled into a parking space and shut off the engine.

"You want me to come in with you?" Angell asked undoing her seatbelt.

I reached out and touched her arm gently.

"Jess…Thanks but I've got to do this by myself. I'll meet you back here as soon as I'm finished," I told her, undoing my own seat belt.

"Good thing I packed a book," she remarked, pulling out a Stephen King novel.

"You seen the movie?" I asked grinning at her choice of book.

Angell returned my smile.

"Jack Nicholson playing the guy warped by the hotel, it scared the crap out of me," she answered.

"Jack Nicholson scares the crap of me in general," I replied.

Angell chuckled, before setting the book on her lap and shifting in her seat to face me.

"Hey, you wanna grab some coffee on the way back?" she asked me.

Her request was unsure; she wanted to know where we stood. I bit my lip before answering. Everything that happened was bridge under the water now. I knew the circumstances; I couldn't hold it against her any more.

"So long as no one is in dire need of rescuing, I could go for coffee," I replied, nodding.

Angell grinned before shooing me off in the direction of the prison. The wind rustled my hair as I raised my head to look at the huge looming building. What ever answers we needed were somewhere in there.

------------------------------------------------

"You know I love it when you walk around in my NYPD shirt," Danny said as he stepped out of the bedroom, his eyes on Cory.

She was getting a cereal box from the overhead cupboard, reaching on tip toes. The shirt brushed the tops of her thighs. Danny tilted his head watching her.

"I ought to put the cereal boxes on a higher shelf," he muttered.

Cory glanced at him over her shoulder, giving him a flirtatious smile.

"You better pop those eyes back into your head Mr Messer, otherwise you'll never relieve that frustration," she said with a wink.

Danny let out an inward groan before bending down to tie the shoelaces of his running shoes.

"You are gonna be the death of me Corrine Reid." Danny grinned as he grabbed his keys and slipped them into the pocket of his hoodie.

Cory turned to face Danny one hand on her hip.

"If I didn't tease you mercilessly Messer, what kind of girlfriend would I be?" she pointed out.

Danny reached out for the door to his apartment.

"You better be wearing more clothes when I come back," Danny called playfully as he opened the door.

Cory pulled back her curly auburn hair into a ponytail.

"What you gonna do if I'm not?" she teased.

Danny raised his eyebrows before slipping through the door to start his run.

-------------------------------

The visiting room was quiet when Sonny was finally guided into the room. A bright smile spread across his face as he dropped into the chair across from me and picked up the phone.

"Carmen Devine, I was just reading about you in the paper. You're becoming quite the pin up around here. First Detective to fuck after ya get released," he sniggered. 

"Good thing for me, you all have life sentences, otherwise I'd be worried Sonny." I retorted.

"Still the wise ass, I like that, still got your fire from when you married my homeboy," Sonny remarked, leaning forward eagerly.

"You seen Messer recently?" Sonny asked, watching me closely.

I bowed my head, letting my hair fall across my face so Sonny couldn't see it.

"That's why you're here isn't it? That crazy Marine bastard got him didn't he? Best damn cellmate I ever had," Sonny cheered.

A spiteful smile crossed my face as I rose to my feet and looked Sonny straight in the eyes.

"Thanks Sonny, you've just given me everything that I needed."

Sonny's face was a picture of rage, his jaw dropped and he rose to his feet.

"You bitch! I'll get you for this, Carmen. There are plenty people in here that would like to wipe the smile off that pretty face of yours!" he was screaming now.

"It's a pity your going to be in solitary confinement from now on then, isn't it?" I beamed, as he pounded his fists on the glass.

"I'll get you, you bitch, I'll fucking get you!" I watched as the guards leapt into action restraining him.

"Have fun all on your lonesome Sonny." I gave him a finger wave, before spinning on my heel and stalking from the visitor's lounge.

--------------------------------

Mac and Hawkes were already in his office as I rushed into the lab.

"How'd it go with Sonny?" Mac asked as I pushed open the door and then closed it tightly behind me.

"You know Sonny, a few threats about how I'm the prison pin up. But I did manage to get something out of him. He said the guy who he made a deal with him was a Marine, from what I can gather they were cell mates…This ringing any bells with you Mac?" I asked watching Mac's expressionless features.

Mac folded his arms over is chest and shook his head.

"There's no one I know who went to prison. To be honest I lost contact with a lot of people after Claire died," Mac informed us.

"We could pull Sonny's prison records and see if you recognize any names of any of the cell mates he's had," Hawkes said thoughtfully.

"You go do that Hawkes and page me when you have them up," Mac spoke quietly, his eyes on me.

Hawkes nodded before leaving Mac's office, shutting the door behind him. Mac's dark green eyes were focused on me.

"What?" I frowned.

"Prison pin up?" was all Mac said.

I would have shrugged if my shoulder wasn't still hurting like hell.

"I guess I've featured in the papers a lot recently," I responded.

"Did he threaten you?" Mac asked studying my posture.

I tilted my head and looked at Mac pointedly.

"It's Sonny Sassoon; I'd be worried if he didn't threaten me," I reminded him, before spilling all the details of the conversation.

"He won't be able to make anymore deals now that he's in solitary. I put a call into his prison warden an hour ago; he said he'll get on it right away. They'll be keeping an eye on Mr Sassoon." Mac told me as his pager went off.

"Hawkes found something?" I inquired.

Mac raised his eyes to meet mine.

"It would seem so, come on." He gestured for me to follow him.

Hawkes was in the AV Lab with Adam typing on one of the computer terminals.

"I got Adam to put it up on the bigger screen to make it easier to see some of the photographs," Hawkes told us as he scrolled through the list of cell mates.

"Wow, Sonny's had a high turn over of cellmates," I breathed as Hawkes out the list up on the screen and started selecting files.

"All those criminals cooped up in one place, they start killing each other," Mac remarked, analysing each name on the screen.

I perched myself against the table next to Adam, watching as Mac searched each name.

"How are you doing Carmen? I heard about the car, I'm surprised to see you back so soon," Adam spoke softly trying not to distract Mac.

"I got a separated shoulder and an interesting bruise pattern on my ribs but otherwise I'm doing fine. Hopefully the shoulder will be healed in a week…"

"If you take it easy." Hawkes interrupted.

"You heard what the man said," I pointed at Hawkes. "If I take it easy."

"Click on Tobias Oswald," Mac said calmly, breaking into the jovial conversation.

Hawkes did as he was told, bringing up a file.

"Six years for rape, got out a week ago…" Adam spoke into the air.

Mac's face was transfixed to the screen as his expression turned more serious than it had been.

"Mac?" I rested a hand on his arm gently.

"Private Tobias Oswald of the US Marine Corps…" Mac said out loud, his tone was thoughtful.

"You know him?" I questioned staring at the picture in front of us.

Oswald's dark hair was sort in a crew cut. He had a thin white scar, along his jaw line, and black eyes.

"We were in the same battalion. We were based at Camp Pendleton. One night, we were all out at a bar somewhere in Oceanside. I remember coming out of the bar for a smoke, and hearing a woman, it sounded like she was struggling with someone in the alley that ran a long side it. I went to help and that's when I saw him," Mac's gaze never wavered from Oswald's face.

"Oswald was with a female recruit, I think she was called Marie Casey. He had her by the throat; his hand was up her skirt. Her blouse was torn and her face was bloody, she'd fought him but Oswald had already graduated from the Marine Corps so he better trained. He was surprised to see me, he let the girl go and she ran past me and back to the bar. When we got back to the base I was called into the Lance Corporal's office, the girl was pressing charges against Oswald and he'd called me as witness to testify that she was lying. So I broke the unwritten code and I told the truth, Oswald was dishonourably discharged not long after. The military was his life," Mac concluded.

"That sounds like a good enough reason to put a hit on you," Hawkes stated.

"Erm guys? Oswald was released over a week ago. He's disappeared off the map," Adam told us still reading through the details on the screen.

Mac and I exchanged glances.

"You think he's gonna go after Danny after Sonny screwed up his hit on you?" I asked Mac thoughtfully.

Mac was already springing into action, Hawkes and I followed suit, throwing our coats over our shoulders.

"Oswald's true to his word, it doesn't matter that Sonny failed," Mac informed me.

My phone was already in my hand as the three of us rushed towards the parking garage.

"I'm getting no answer from his cell," I told Mac as he threw himself behind the wheel of the SUV. I jumped into the passenger seat as Hawkes climbed in the back.

"I just called his home, Cory picked up she said he went out for a run thirty minutes ago. She'll call one of us if Danny turns up there," Hawkes told us as Mac swerved out of the parking garage and onto the road.

"Either of you know his running route?" Mac questioned.

"Yea I go running with him sometimes. It usually takes him forty minutes tops," Hawkes told us.

"When we get to Danny's apartment, you're showing us the direction you two run," Mac demanded.

A knot of fear tightened in my stomach, as I prayed that we weren't too late.

------------------------------

Danny was panting by the time he reached the alleyway, the fact he'd worked two shifts back to back was catching up on him as he reached the home stretch. He turned into alley triumphant, slowing his pace as he neared his apartment building.

Danny was thinking about his life at the moment and how he surprised he was to find himself feeling pretty happy. He and Cory had been getting closer the past few weeks, he could feel her beginning to trust him again and he liked that feeling. He like how he felt around Cory. He loved when he woke up next to her, he loved the way her eyes shone and the way her voice had that gorgeous Texan accent. Danny knew he was in love with her; he always was and always would be. She'd made him feel things that no one else had and he loved her for it.

"Hey buddy got a dollar?" a hobo asked stepping out from behind a dumpster and into Danny's path, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Danny's pace changed to a walk as he dodged around the hobo.

"Sorry man, I have nothing on me," he said raising his hands as if to show the homeless man.

Out of nowhere the hobo's hand clasped his shoulder pulling him backwards against the other man's body. A sudden sharp pain erupted in his lower back somewhere near his kidneys. Danny saw stars flash before his eyes as he felt the knife go in for a second time, tearing at the muscle and skin beneath his hoodie as the hobo twisted the knife. Danny fell to his knees, gasping as blood bubbled up his throat. The hobo was crouched in front of him now as Danny's body wavered from side to side. He grabbed Danny's chin so that Danny could look into his rancid features.

"That's from Sonny Sassoon; he wanted you to know that's what being stabbed in the back feels like," the hobo hissed at Danny.

Blood trickled from the corner of Danny's mouth as the hobo rose to his feet, his dark eyes on Danny as he smashed him across the face with the hilt of the knife. Danny hit the ground hard, his head tilted to the left as he spat out more blood. He could hear the hobo's footsteps walking away as he lay there sprawled in the growing pool of his own blood mouthing the word "help" over and over again.

_**Let me guess I'm evil right? Lol Sorry I haven't posted up this new chapter long beforehand, it's been a busy weekend and I've been working on a Miracle fanfic. I'm going to have to settle down and do some uni work at some point but no worries I have a few chapters saved up for you to read.**_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I missed that Adam ep! Lol you did make a very valued contribution, I didn't realise until you mentioned it and then its been in my head ever since. Lol Happy Birthday! _

_Katydid13: And it gets even more interesting. Lol. Thanks for all your help on Miracle so far! You'll prob be getting more chapter sin a few days._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm trying my hand at writing a fanfic for Miracle we'll just have to see I have three chaps but no title. Lol Thanks for all your help with Max, hope I can keep your interest with these chapters._

_Sparkycsi: lol I blew myself away with the Garvey thing when I thought of the name I had no idea how big this would become! I wish we could have fanfic awards and a little ceremony with champagne that would be cool! (no idea why I just thought of that) lol what do you think of M3 so far?_

_JoanneF: lol well you can see it all now, Sonny has been a very naughty boy._

_Axellia: OMG! You managed to catch up! Well done! Good luck with your next working week and I love my ITunes so much! Lol thank for the whole char development comment I didn't even realize it but I think your right, in the past she would have been hunting the person down! Lol she was only a Suicide Girl for a very short period of time. Lol I'm not fond of Kid Rock but I like 2 songs by him! Lol I so wanted to writer him being late and her having left already but it took the whole story arc in a completely diff direction so I couldn't use it. Lol I had to have a reason for her to literally just miss the stalker so out of nowhere BOOM! A car hits her. My bunnies were cheering at that point! Damn media player! Lol I would have text you! I literally slept through. I think we've al been really busy hence why we let GH have a little bit of space. Go nuts on it!_

_Sanghian: lol keep writing and he was inspired by a certain wizard, I love the show and the stories and I like the name. Thanks for the review. _

_Daisyangel: lol well you were lucky posting when you did I was bout to out up the next chapter. I'm surprised it's all come together so well I feel pretty pleased with myself._


	75. Chapter 75: If You Want Blood

Chapter Seventy Five

_If you want blood, you got it  
If you want blood, you got it  
Blood on the streets  
Blood on the rocks  
Blood in the gutter  
Every last drop  
You want blood, you got it_

_ACDC – If You Want Blood_

"Oh my God, how far do you and Danny run?" I exclaimed as Mac and I jogged after Hawkes.

"Three miles at least," Hawkes informed me as he turned the corner. We were standing at the opening of a dark alleyway that led back to Danny's block.

"We're almost back at Danny's apartment and there's no sign of him yet." I pointed out. "Maybe he didn't come this way, maybe he went a different way, had to pick up some milk from the store or…"

"Quiet," Mac commanded, holding up a hand to silence me.

I froze, hearing a wheezing noise.

"What is that?" I whispered. Mac took a step into the alley, his eyes searching the darkness.

"Hawkes!" Mac yelled out loud.

Hawkes and I burst in to the alley way. I froze stunned at the sight before me. My hand was cupped over my mouth.

Danny's body was sprawled across the grimy cobbles. He was lying on his front, blood had pooled around his body. Dear God there was so much of it. His head was twisted towards Mac; I could hear the rasping of his breath. There was blood staining his lips.

Hawkes was already by his side stripping off his jacket and pressing his jacket against the wounds in Danny's back.

"Carmen." My eyes slid to Mac who gestured me to.

"I need you to talk to him, try and keep him calm whilst Hawkes and I try and stem the bleeding. Take his hand," Mac was talking to me as if he was commanding me through a lab test.

My heart was racing in my chest as I slide to my knees next to Danny's head; I took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"Danny, it's me Carmen, you have to hold on please…"

Mac was already on the phone to dispatch.

Danny was rambling something; I bent my head closer so I could hear him. He was calling out for Cory.

"I'll make sure Cory knows what's happening Danny. You just have to hold on."

"Tell her…" he rasped.

I clutched his hand tightly, to my chest. Tears were running down my eyes as he stared up at me, his eyes so open and brave.

"Tell her…Tell her…I …love her," he uttered through broken breathes.

"You can tell her yourself, Danny," I was trying to be strong but there was so much blood everywhere.

There were sirens in the background. Danny was beginning to falter, his eyes were fluttering closed. All the blood he'd lost was taking its toll on him.

"Danny, you have to keep your eyes open…Look at me… Look at me!" I demanded.

Danny's eyes were on me again, but they were beginning to dull.

"Hawkes?" I sniffed. "I don't know how much longer he can hold on."

"I'm stemming the bleeding but he's lost a lot of blood." Hawkes's eyes met mine.

His fear was evident as he applied more pressure to his blood covered jacket.

Mac was on his feet next to us.

"EMS is here." Mac shouted, guiding the paramedics down the alley.

Hawkes was talking quickly as the paramedics crouched next to us.

"Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to move," the paramedic said gently.

I nodded pulling away from Danny reluctantly. My hands were sticky, and covered with Danny's blood. I watched as the paramedics managed to get Danny onto a stretcher. Hawkes was walking with them as they guided him to the ambulance. I felt abstract from the whole thing. Coldness was running through me.

"You're shaking…"Mac appeared next to me, watching as Hawkes climbed into the back of the ambulance.

"What am I going to tell Cory?" I murmured, wrapping my arms around myself.

Mac reached out and took my hand in his.

"Just be there. That's all you can do," Mac told me.

"We need to catch this bastard Mac," I seethed clenching my jaw.

Mac squeezed my hand tightly.

"I promise we'll catch this son of a bitch."

------------------------------

I walked up the stairs to Danny's apartment, feeling trepidation rising in my chest with each step I took. I had managed to wipe the blood off my hands, but I knew that I had streaks down my trousers and well as on my face. As I got to his door, I took a deep breath before walking in.

"Danny? You'd better call Mac right now! He's out looking for you!" Cory yelled from the bedroom.

"It's not Danny," I called back, trying to keep the emotions out of my voice.

Cory walked out of the bedroom quickly, dressed in a pair of jeans, running shoes and an NYPD T-shirt. Cory took stock of Carmen's appearance before responding. "He's dead, isn't he?" she said in a monotone.

I shook my head, concerned at the lack of expression on her face. "Not yet, but it doesn't look good. He was stabbed in the back and lost a lot of blood," I returned quietly.

I watched the emotions flit across her face, from despair to a blind rage that almost caused me to step back. "You okay?" I asked her. I knew that if I'd just been told that Flack was barely clinging onto life, I would be displaying a hell of a lot more emotion.

Cory bit her lip before responding. "Not really, but one of us needs to be able to drive to the hospital and you can't with your shoulder, so I need to keep it together to get to the hospital," she said as she grabbed her jacket and purse off the couch. "Come on, let's go."

I followed her out to her car, a BMW Z4, where she gunned the engine and pulled out into traffic. I watched amazed as her knuckles turned white from the force that she was gripping the steering wheel. She wove through traffic deftly and in silence. A couple of times, I started to say something, but the look on her face made me fall back into silence.

We must have made it to the hospital in record time, since I was surprised that when less than twenty minutes had passed she was screeching to a halt in the parking garage. When we got out of the car, her face was no longer stony, I could tell that she was fighting back tears and she practically ran for the elevator. I placed my hand on her arm and tried to comfort her. "He's strong, Cory. We got to him pretty quickly, so you just have to think positive."

Cory laughed hollowly. "That's all I ever have to do, Carmen. God! First James, now Danny? Why is it that the men I love…" she trailed off, the memories overwhelming her.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Who's James?"

Cory looked up in surprise. "I'd totally forgotten that you didn't know," she said as we stepped out of the elevator. "He was my fiancé, until he was murdered by the leader of Mala Suerte."

My eyes opened in shock as I realized how hard Cory was trying to hold herself together. "I'm sorry," I started as we turned a corner and approached the ER. I stopped at the sight of Mac standing, obviously looking for us, covering in Danny's blood.

Cory's steps faltered as she saw him and realized the seriousness of the situation. "Mac?" she said as tears closed her throat and began to spill out of her eyes.

Mac looked at her, feeling completely horrible. "He's in surgery right now. I'm not going to lie to you, Cory. Hawkes said that he crashed a couple of times in the ambulance. It looks pretty bad right now."

I tried to catch Cory as she collapsed, but luckily, Mac had been prepared for that and he managed to catch her before she hit the floor, sobbing. Mac guided her to a chair and I sat down next to her. "Shhh, Cory. It'll be okay," I murmured as I stroked her back, trying to calm her down.

After about ten minutes, Cory finally sniffed as she raised her head and stared at Mac. "Who did this, Mac?" she asked in a steely voice, rage causing her eyes to darken.

Mac shook his head, well aware of her temper. "I can't tell you that, Cory," he replied calmly. "This isn't a joint investigation and I can't have you messing up the investigation."

I saw fire flare in her eyes as they bored into Mac.

"You won't need an investigation after I get done with them, Mac," she said with so much hate that I flinched.

Drawing a calming breath, I continued to stroke her back. "Cory?" I said softly, wincing as she glared at me. "The person who did this is not worth ruining your life or career over." I was trying to make her see reason so she didn't go off half-cocked and on a vendetta. "Come on, Cory. Think it through!"

Mac wisely stayed out of the conversation, trusting me to calm down the fiery redhead.

I held my breath as I watched Cory struggled with herself. Finally she sighed, bending over and resting her head in her hands. "Damn it. You're right. Although I would give my trust fund to have five minutes alone with the bastard."

I smiled, feeling relieved as the tension was broken. I nodded to Mac who cleared his throat.

"I'll go see if I can bully some information out of the nurses." He turned to leave before turning back. "I promise I'll catch him, Cory. My oath as a Marine," he said quietly as he walked away.

-------------------------

I was sitting next to Cory when I heard the footsteps running up the corridor towards us. We both glanced at the source of the heavy footfalls, alarmed to see Flack bearing down on us.

"How is he?" he panted breathlessly coming to a halt next to us both.

I glanced at Cory who looked away; I could see her swallowing back tears again. Seeing Mac and a nurse moving quickly towards us, Cory bolted to her feet and strode towards them, leaving me and Flack alone for a few minutes.

"It's not good; he lost a lot of blood at the scene. He's still in surgery," I told Flack, shakily.

His eyes weren't on my face however, they were on my clothes. I looked down to see Danny's blood still clinging to my trousers; some had splashed up onto my shirt. I tried to cover them with my jacket.

Flack's eyes had glazed over now, he'd seen the amount of blood on my clothing; he knew Danny was in serious trouble. He dropped into the sat next to me, his head in his hands, raking through his hair.

"Do we know who did it?" Flack asked squeezing his eyes shut.

I took his hand gently in mine. His dark blue eyes were overwhelmed with emotion as I nodded.

"I promise we're going to get them…"

Mac and Cory were standing in front of us now; I looked up eagerly, searching for signs of any news on their faces.

"The nurse said he managed to pull through the surgery, but it's going to be touch and go. They're transferring him to ICU. The knife nicked an artery and did some damage to his internal organs so everything's still uncertain at the minute," Mac informed us.

I small sigh of relief drained out of me as I gave Cory a hopeful look.

"Carmen, can you still work?" I lifted my gaze to meet Mac's determined expression.

"Of course," I spoke quickly.

"I have Adam and Hawkes working the scene; I need you to start processing he evidence as soon as it starts coming in. Do you have a change of clothes in your locker?" Mac questioned.

I nodded.

"I'm going to take you back to the lab, I need you to bag the clothes your wearing incase there was any transfer when we were trying to save Danny. You can shower and change there," Mac told me gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.

I rose to my feet, Flack followed suit, his gaze meeting Mac's.

"I'll stay here with Cory; if there's any news we'll let you know." He said, glancing at Cory concerned.

Cory had wrapped her arms around herself was looking distantly down the corridor. I reached out and touched her arm gently.

"Mac and I are going back to the lab now; I'll let you know when we catch the person who did this," I promised her.

"The nurse said we're allowed to visit so I think we'll probably sit with him a while." She raised her eyes to Flack, who nodded agreeably, before the both of them set off down the corridor.

Mac and I watched their backs as they turned a corner.

"I hope Danny pulls through this Mac, because I don't think their going to be able to take it if he doesn't," I said quietly.

"We need to focus on catching Oswald, before he comes back to finish the job."

I turned to him surprised.

"You think he'll come back to finish off Danny?" I asked him softly.

"If Oswald finds out he's alive, it's likely. We need to catch him before this gets any worse," Mac confided as we began to walk back to the parking garage.

"I say it's time to start hunting," I replied savagely before climbing into the passenger side of the SUV, allowing Mac to drive us back to the Crime Lab.

_**Good morning people and thanks for all the reviews. So the question on everyone's lips is how evil can I be in regards to Danny? Well you're just going to have to wait and see.**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol your just going to have to wait and see, and there are worse things I could do to Danny than kill him. Lol I love the relationship Carmen and Sonny have together, it's always fun playing with them both in the same chapter. High five to kudos!_

_Katydid13: lol well you'll have to wait and see on the Danny front, I am writing M4 now so you won't be in suspense that long for that. Thanks for the review!_

_Bluehavan4220: No prob, thanks for the offer! Lol I had to throw a little tension in there to give you all a jolt._

_Dasiyangel: I think you've got another of Cory's visions coming up soon. Lol all in good time! Lol as I said before if you let me read the chapters before hand feel free to borrow her. Thanks for the review._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: What did he do to them?! Lol you'll have to wait and see on everything, lol I couldn't help but be evil._

_Laplandgurl: lol I'm glad you like what's going on so far! Lol A little bit of evil never hurt anyone._

_Sparkycsi: lol I was going to say but you know what the outcome is! I'm writing M4as we speak but it's proving to be a little bit hard at the min._

_JoanneF: lol he is defo one of my fav villains because he's just so horrible and evil. I'm glad you like this chapter!_


	76. Chapter 76: Loose Ends

Chapter Seventy Six

_Is it a warning?  
Is it __an evil sign?   
Is it a people  
Who have lost their mind?  
Is it the darkness?  
Is it a man resigned?  
Is it a best friend  
Leaving you behind?_

_James Blunt – I Can't Hear The Music_

I spent a long time in the shower, watching as the remainder of Danny's blood swirled down the plug hole as I washed it from my hands and face. After throwing on my fresh clothes and bagging the bloody ones I was off into the lab and setting up shop in the Trace Lab.

I set my bag of bloody clothes down on the table before slipping on the lab coat as Mac entered the room. His hair was still wet from the shower as his eyes fell on me.

"I'm still waiting for the main body of evidence to come in." I informed him perching on a stool before pushing the bag of my clothes towards him; he did the same with his.

"I've got Danny's clothes from the stabbing here, if you take the shirt, I'll take the running bottoms and see what we can come up with before moving onto his shoes, and any other items in here." I nodded as Mac spoke. "Double check everything."

He opened the bag of Danny's clothing; I helped him spread it out across the table.

"You know I've been thinking about something Hawkes said," I remarked turning my body to face Mac.

"He told us that Danny goes running at the same time every two days. I think that means that Oswald has been watching Danny for at least four days; especially he knew that the alley was going to be the right place to hit him. It's out of sight, so there would be less chance of anyone seeing what happened or finding Danny. Good thing we had Hawkes with us," I spoke out loud, shaking my head and putting a hand on my hip.

"I have the Oswald's file right here if you want to check that theory," Mac said, pushing it towards me.

I knew he was giving me free reign with my theory and I liked that he trusted me enough to go it alone for a moment. I picked up the file and flicked through some of the pages.

"Ok, so it says that they found evidence that Oswald had been stalking his victim for weeks leading up to the actual rape. He's a predator by my judgment," I exclaimed as I read through a few more details. "So it's pretty obvious he was stalking Danny…I think it's safe to assume that your next on his target list."

Mac shot me a knowing smile before starting to work on Danny's jogging bottoms.

"Which is why you're in the lab at the minute, where he can't be a danger to anyone," I continued a long my line of thinking.

Mac threw me a proud smile before leaning closer over the clothes, studying them.

"Which is also why I cancelled my plans with Stella tonight. She's coming in the next half an hour to help us go through some of this evidence," he informed me, as he lifted the magnifying glass closer to his face.

I set the file back down on the side, my eyes fixed on him.

"You think he's been stalking you too?" I asked Mac, concerned.

"If he wasn't, he'll be turning his full attention to me now at least until he finds out Danny's alive. I bet my badge he's planning something, let's just hope we figure out what it is before someone else gets hurt."

----------------------------

Stella ran a hand through her hair as she walked over to her dining table and blew out the candles she'd set upon the table for her romantic meal with Mac. She let out a sigh as she popped the bottle of wine back into the rack and began to clear away the cutlery she'd set out. As disappointed as she was, she was more concerned about Danny's condition.

It had taken a lot of convincing on Mac's part for her not to rush down to the hospital and sit by his side. Danny was like a little brother to her, the thought of him being injured didn't sit right with her at all. She knew there was only one visitor allowed in ICU, she also knew that the only reason Flack had managed to get into Danny's room with Cory was the fact he used the excuse he was there for police protection.

Instead, Stella opted to return to the lab to see if there was anything she could do to help Danny that way. She knew that the others must be getting to the point where they were starting to burn out.

The sound of light knocking at the door distracted Stella as picked up her cell phone and slipped it into her back pocket. Stella frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone. She moved towards the peephole of her door and peered through it. A huge bunch of multi-colored flowers covered the hole; beneath them a pair of legs were visible.

Grinning she threw open the door. It was lovely of him to have sent her flowers.

The barrel of a gun appeared from behind the bunch of flowers as it fell to the floor revealing a man with a dark shaved head, a white scar up the left side of his jaw line.

"Well, ain't you easy to please." He bared his teeth pointing the gun steadily at her.

Fear clenched in Stella's chest as she stared the man in the face. Her beautiful features were expressionless, showing him nothing of the turmoil of emotions that were causing havoc inside her.

"Let's get inside before the neighbors see," Oswald stage whispered, gesturing into the apartment with the gun.

Stella nodded.

"I don't want any trouble," she muttered.

She backed away from the door, so her body was shielded from Oswald's view for a second.

Stella knew this was a no-win situation. Her gun was in her handbag across the room but there was something she could do. She slipped a hand behind her back and pressed the call button on her cell phone, so it dialed the last number that had called her.

"Mac has a fine taste in women," Oswald told her.

Stella's stomach churned as he looked her up and down and licked his lips. For the second time in her life Stella felt trapped in her own home.

------------------------------

"Looks like he used a hunting knife," I told Mac as I studied the hilt marks on Danny's blood stained shirt.

Mac opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the insistent ring of his cell phone.

"Taylor," he said, pressing the cell against his ear, his eyes still focusing on the clothes in front of him.

I leaned against the table waiting for him to finish his conversation so I could continue with my findings.

Mac's face's mouth set in a grim line as he started peeling off his lab coat, the phone still at his ear.

"Mac?" I asked doing the same.

"You got your gun?" Mac growled.

Our eyes met and I saw something that surprised me in his eyes. Fear.

"Yes."

Mac held the phone away form his ear for a second.

"Do you think you can still shoot?" I was staring at him now alarmed by the sudden change in his mannerisms.

"Carmen, do you think you can still shoot with your shoulder being the way it is?" he asked me again, his eyes on mine intense.

"I'm a pretty good shot one handed if that's what you're asking me," I told him, narrowing my eyes as he bolted from the room.

I shed my lab coat and was two steps behind him, the phone still glued to his ear.

"Mac what's going on? Where are we going" I questioned struggling to keep up.

We'd reached the elevator now and were inside, Mac jabbing the button for the parking garage furiously.

"Oswald has Stella. I need you to call dispatch and get a team to Stella's place." He ordered.

I did as I was told as we descended to the parking garage. We were marching towards the SUV when I caught hold of Mac's sleeve and yanked him to a halt. He spun to face me, eyes of fury on my face. I held my ground.

"Just wait a second what's going on, we can't rush in blind, I need to know what we're getting into," I demanded, staring at Mac.

"Stella pressed the call button on her phone, so I can hear everything that's going on in her apartment right now. Oswald is there and I swear if we wait any longer he's going to hurt her."

Mac was desperate now; it scared me hearing him like that. He pressed the central locking button on the car, allowing me to climb into the passenger side.

In a New York Moment we were swerving around vehicles on the main road, and I was checking my gun for the second time today.

----------------------------

Cory watched the steady rise and fall of Danny's chest which was being regulated by the respirator, her mind dull. She turned her head as Flack walked back into the room, carrying a cup of coffee in one and and a can of Dr Pepper in the other. She shot him a grateful smile as she popped the tab and took a long drink. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Flack looked at her, sensing that this was bringing back some tough memories for her. "He's not dead, Cory. This isn't going to end up like James," he tried to reassure her.

Cory smiled wryly. "Of course it won't. I'm not engaged to him," she returned sarcastically thinking about her fiance who had been killed the night before their wedding. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Don. I don't mean to unload on you."

Flack nodded as he settled into the chair next to her. "I understand. It's a lot to take in." He looked from Danny to her and finally dare to ask the question that was foremost on his mind. "Do you love him?"

Cory looked into Flack's eyes as she responded without hesitation. "With all my heart."

Flack nodded and smiled. "Good. I think he feels the same way, even though he's never said anything to me."

Cory nodded and fell silent again, thinking hard. "Danny needs to know about his dad, Don. I want to talk with him." She looked at Flack, her expression very serious. "I know I can convince him to tell him."

Flack nodded, knowing that she was trying to keep her mind off of Danny's tenuous position. "I'll see what I can do; that's all I can promise," Flack told her, focusing his attention back on the beeping machines.

----------------------------

We were standing on either side of Stella's locked door, guns drawn, eyes on each other. Mac was still listening to the cell phone as I debated the possibilities. I was scared of what this situation was going to turn into if we didn't get in there quick enough, especially in regards to Oswald's history with women.

"You have a key?" I asked quietly.

Mac nodded.

"What if he's standing on the other side of the door and he hears it?" Mac shook his head.

"He's in the bedroom area; I can hear him telling her things."

The expression on Mac's face told me everything I needed to know. He was itching to get his hands on Oswald, or at least get him away from Stella. He snapped the cell phone closed before slipping it into his pocket. He slipped the key into the lock and twisted it slowly, trying to generate as little noise as possible.

"On three…" Mac hissed, holding up his fingers to count down.

Three…

Two…

Mac nudged the door open a crack with the palm of his hand before nodding at me.

One…

Mac pushing the door open slightly, slipping through the gap first. I followed a step behind.

Our footsteps were virtually silent as we tread down the hallway and into the open space of the kitchen and then towards the bedroom.

Oswald's voice was the only sound that I could hear as we stepped quietly towards it. His back was to us as we crept closer. I could hear my own breathing as I took position, my gun focused on him. Mac was moving even closer.

Stella's wrists were cuffed behind her back; there was blood at her temple. She'd obviously fought while he'd tried to restrain her.

Stella's eyes fell on me; I raised a finger to my lips. Oswald must have caught movement out of the corner of his eye on Mac's side; I knew Oswald hadn't seen me from my position by the door frame.

Suddenly he lashed out, grabbing Stella by the hair and in one fluid movement, twisted his body to face Mac, his gun pressed to her forehead. I couldn't get a shot especially with Stella's body shielding Oswald's.

"Mac, nice of you to finally join us, I was just telling your girlfriend here about our old Marine days, wasn't I sweetheart?" he jabbed the gun against Stella's temple, forcing her to grind her teeth.

"Oswald let her go; no one else needs to get hurt," Mac said staring down the barrel of his gun.

"I like being pressed up against her like this." Oswald ground against Stella as if to prove his point, making me feel sick.

To Stella's credit she didn't flinch, behind her eyes I could see she was calculating some way to tip the table in our favor. The tension in the room was thick as my arm began to ache, yet I kept my weapon focused.

"You're in a no win situation Oswald." Mac kept his composure about him.

"If I'm going down I'm taking one of you with me Mac, and I'd rather it be this one." Oswald brushed the hair away from Stella's face with the butt of the gun. "Although I would have liked to spend a bit more alone time with her."

My jaw clenched as I narrowed my eyes, aiming trying to get a shot that wouldn't be putting Stella at risk. We were in a weak position, this would be a stand off for as long as it took for one of us to get a shot and I sure as hell didn't have clear one; I knew Mac was the same. It was a hopeless situation.

Suddenly, Stella stamped on Oswald's foot, causing him to yelp as she threw herself to the ground; Oswald's gun was on her as his face contorted in rage.

"Your de…" his words were cut off by the retort of my gun as I finally got my shot.

Oswald's body was thrown backwards as the bullet struck him in the chest. The gun flew from his hand, clattering on the floor. In an instant I was inside the room, kicking the gun across the floor, my gun still trained on Oswald's unmoving body.

Mac was holstering his weapon and had rushed to Stella's side; he swept her up in his arms, hugging her close as she whimpered. He undid the handcuffs from her wrists and threw them across the floor. Stella wrapped her arms around his neck as he soothed her hair gently.

"Your ok…" he whispered. "Stella it's ok."

Blood was already spreading across the carpet as I crouched down, checking Oswald's pulse.

"He's dead," I told them, stepping away from the body, with no regret in taking lethal action.

Stella's head rose from Mac's shoulder as he cradled her softly, trying to calm her shaking.

"Thank you," she whispered before burying her head in the crook of his neck again.

Mac just stared at the dead body on the ground as he stroked her back.

It appeared the past catches up with everyone, even when you make the right decision.

_**Thanks to all you reviewers. It's time to leave you with this chapter. Anyway I've just posted the first chapter of my Miracle fanfic for anyone who is interested. I'm going to be quiet busy over the next few weeks but I'll throw chapters up whenever I can.**_

_Maddy Bellows: I hope you have fun on your trip! Lol Cory and Flack have another moment later on, it's really weird writing their moments because their completely different from the ones he has with Gus and Carmen. At the end of the day he knew Cory before Carmen and Gus so h e has a deep platonic bond with her. Lol I'm not stringing it out per sa it's just how the chars are writing themselves._

_Daisyangel: lol I just had this image of "Mac Smash!" Just like Hulk for some reason. Lol we caught a glimpse of the lengths that Cory could go to when she was mad with Jacobson, with Oswald, well… lol anyway you get some closure here._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I think it's something I'm actually going to have to sit down and watch. There's a lot more angst coming up._

_Bluehavan4220: lol I'm sorry to you and your friend but you're just going to have to wait and see what happens. Sometimes bad things happen to good people._

_Sparkycsi: lol that's's the fun part you kind of just know when it's time to end. Lol I'm obsessed with writing ff at the min. as you can see form your inbox. I had a prob with that chapter; I'm not sure where to go form there. I thought it was time she had a breakdown. I thought she'd been through too much for her not too. Lol You are going to make my head swell. I just sent you M5._


	77. Chapter 77: Snapping Point

Chapter Seventy Seven

_And I was never looking for approval _

_From anyone but you  
And though this journey is over _

_I'll go back if you ask me to_

_I'm not dead just changing…_

_Right behind a cigarette and a devilish smile_

_You're my crack of sunrise_

_Pink – I'm Not Dead_

After Oswald had been shot, SWAT had burst into the room seconds later surprised to find the threat neutralized, and the three of us sitting there next to a dead body. Mac had driven us all back to the lab for processing. Sid had ruled Oswald's killing as a good shot, and Mac had not left Stella's side since the apartment. I was free to go home but I had one more call to make.

I was standing in the break room as I took my phone out and dialled Cory's number.

"Hey, it's me," I said quietly, knowing she wasn't technically allowed to be on her cell phone.

"_Did you get him; did you get the son of a bitch that hurt Danny?"_ I could hear the rage still running through Cory as she spoke.

"Yes…you don't have to worry about him coming after Danny anymore," I informed her, pursing my lips together.

"_Tell me you've got enough to put him away," _Cory demanded, I could hear the upset in her voice fading.

"Cory…I shot him, there's no chance of him ever coming back." I told her quietly, leaning my back against the counter.

"_He's dead?"_ She sounded like she couldn't believe it. _"Oh."_ That one word pretty much summed up how I was feeling.

"Yes, I killed him. I had to; he was going to shoot Stella…" I choked, feeling tears rising within me as the toll of the past few weeks struck me.

I pushed all the emotion back. I couldn't fall apart now; I wouldn't let myself.

"_Why…why did he hurt Danny?" _Cory asked in a child like voice. It broke my heart to hear her so sad.

"Him and Sonny Sassoon made a deal…it's complicated. I'll give you the whole story tomorrow I just…Can you tell Flack that I'm going home? I just need some time to process," I told her anxiously.

"_Of course…Thank you for letting me know, it means a lot knowing that the man who tried to hurt Danny is dead. I'll let Flack know that you're at home…"_

"How is Danny doing? I mean is there any news?" I asked quickly.

Cory's sigh was audible down the line. I felt tears pinpricking my eyes as she paused. I wiped at my eyes and sniffed.

"_The doctor's say he's in a coma, they're hopeful he'll start breathing on his own in the next few days,"_ she told me. _"Something about his body needing to focus itself on recovery or something."_

I knew she was struggling to have faith in the doctors' words, especially after everything that seemed to happen to her loved ones. My heart went out to her.

"He'll pull through Cory, you know what Danny's like, he's probably going to be showing off his war wounds when this is all over." I was trying to make her feel a little better, but it was hard when we were both feeling so low.

"_I know…it's just hard... I better go; I'm not supposed to be using my cell in the hospital. I'll tell Flack where you are. If anything changes I'll call you. I'm probably going to sleep for a bit. I can knowing the threat is gone."_

"Thank you," I whispered before hanging up.

I pressed my phone to my lips before letting out a deep breath that I didn't know I'd been holding. I closed my eyes for a minute trying to ground myself against all my coursing emotions. Tears were in my eyes as I saw Danny laying there, his blood spreading across the cobbles.

My eyes snapped open as the door to the break room opened. I cleared my throat and turned away so that Adam couldn't see my face.

"Hey," he said quietly. "I wanted to see if you wanted a lift home."

I clenched my jaw trying to get myself under control before turning to face him, with a false, bright smile.

"Yea, that would be great thanks," I said gratefully.

"Are you ok?" he asked holding the door open for me. His eyes were on my face analysing me carefully.

"Yea, I'm just tired, it's been a long week. Mac take Stella back to his?" I asked curiously, hoping to change the subject.

Adam was routing through his pockets for his keys.

"Yep, he doesn't want her to be alone tonight after everything that happened with Oswald," he said, finding his keys and swinging them as we walked.

"It's a good idea; I think he needs someone to take the edge away from the job, especially on a day like today," I agreed, bowing my head as we stepped into the elevator.

"You want me to hang out with you until Flack comes home?" Adam asked thoughtful, obviously taking my words to heart.

The look on his face was adorably protective as I twisted my head towards him with a small smile.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine…" I told him.

"If you're sure…" Adam said wearily as we paced towards his car.

"Don't worry about me I'll be fine," I shot him a beaming smile before climbing into his car and allowing him to drive me home.

--------------------------------

Cory awoke to the sounds of two men talking very quietly. She automatically reached for the gun that she didn't have until she recognized Flack's voice. Opening her eyes, bleary with sleep, she looked in the direction of the voices. She recognized Flack immediately, but couldn't really see the other man, until he moved into the light a little more. She suppressed her gasp of surprise as she recognized the second man. Papa Messer.

Moving gingerly, she was sore from having slept curled up in the chair; she stood and walked over to them. "Flack," she said softly before focusing her gaze on Papa Messer. "Mr. Messer."

Papa Messer gave her the once over before extending his hand. "Agent Reid, pleased to meet you," he said cordially.

"I wish I could say the same," she returned, her voice even though her emotions were running through her. "I'll give you some time alone. I've gotta stretch my muscles anyway."

Flack watched her walk out of the room before making his excuses to Papa Messer and following her. "Cory? Where are you going?" he called after her, his long legs easily catching up with her quick pace.

"I told you, Don. I need to stretch my muscles and also I figured it was a good move on my part to give him some alone time with his son. Papa Messer may be a lot of things, but I know that he loves Danny."

Flack shook his head. "Stupid girl! I allowed him to come so that you can talk to him. It takes less time to surprise him into the conversation than it does to actually ask permission."

Cory looked at Flack in surprise. "Okay," she said finally. "But I gotta get a Dr Pepper first. I can't have this conversation with him while I'm still half dead. How long was I out anyway?"

Flack smiled. "Couple of hours. Looks like you needed it."

Cory nodded. "I think I did." Cory turned to walk away, then remembered her conversation with Carmen. "Oh, Flack. Carmen called. They got the bastard that hurt Danny and she's on her way home, but you might want to call her. She's the one that took him down."

"Thanks." Flack nodded. "Go get your caffeine and when you get back to the room, I'll make up an excuse to leave you two alone."

Cory nodded and walked towards the vending machines, digging for change in her pockets.

When she got back to the room and settled into her chair, she noticed the loving way that Papa Messer was looking at Danny and felt a little hope rise in her chest at the way he was looking at him. Flack nodded imperceptibly and cleared his throat. "I gotta call to make, so I'll be back in a few minutes," he stated before making a quick escape.

Papa Messer looked at Cory. "I'm glad that you and my son have patched up the differences that sent you to Dallas earlier this year, Agent Reid," he said.

Cory's eyes widened, not in shock that he was obviously keeping track of them, but in amazement that he actually admitted it.

Papa Messer looked at her, completely misinterpreting her look of shock, and smiled wryly. "What? You didn't think that I wouldn't keep tabs on my youngest son. While he and I never saw eye to eye, I still love him and want no harm to come to him because of me." He bowed his head lightly. "My only regret with him was my reaction to him joining the Academy. I wish that I'd handled that better. I've lost so much time with him," he finished quietly as he looked at the hand he was holding.

Cory saw her opening and decided to take the leap. "If you love him, why won't you tell him the truth?"

Papa Messer's eyes darkened a little at her implication. "Truth about what?"

"Lucinda Garvey. Why won't you tell him that she's his mother?" Cory shot back without malice and bore the brunt of his angry gaze.

"Who told you that?" he hissed.

Cory decided a little white lie was necessary. "No one had to tell me. I'm an FBI agent, as you are well aware, and working this case jointly with Don. The NYPD doesn't have the manpower to handle a case this size on their own. I did my research on her. It wasn't hard to find out that you were her first husband or that she bore two children. Public records."

Papa Messer's gaze stayed dark, but he seemed to accept her lie. "Lucinda is a vicious woman. She's taking care of old business, killing people from her past that could possibly take her down. The less that Danny and Louie know, the better." He looked at her, his eyes boring into her soul. "Have you told him?"

She shook her head. "No," she admitted. "Not that the decision not to tell him didn't kill me, but when I brought my concerns to Don, he told me the agreement that you had with him. I was willing to accept that for a little while, but not anymore. Life is too short. Both you and I know that Lucinda would never harm her own child, so what's the real reason that you don't want to tell him," she shot back in a scathing voice.

Papa Messer recoiled at the attack on him and turned his gaze down to Danny, struggling for words. Cory gave him the time to think and waited for him to continue.

"I don't want him to hate me. Look, things happened when Lucie and I decided to split and we both agreed that it was better for them to think that their birth mom was dead. When I remarried, I was lucky enough to marry a woman who was a fantastic mother and wife. My heart broke when she died of heart failure. Danny loved his stepmother, he never even remembered Lucie. It's better to keep the skeletons in the closet, Agent Reid. They can reap havoc if they escape."

Cory bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "Mr. Messer? Danny is no longer a little boy. He's a grown man who deserves to know who and what his birth mother is. It will help him to prepare for any retaliation that might occur from someone looking to harm either of you." She raised her eyes to his, tears shining brightly in them. "I can't lose him. I can't go through the pain of something like that happening again. Yeah, he's gonna be pissed that you lied to him, but eventually, he'll understand why you did. The sooner you do it, the less pissed he'll be."

Papa Messer got up, brushing some hair back from Danny's face. "I can promise you that I will think about it, but I won't promise that I'll tell him, Agent Reid." He began to walk to the door. "I'd better leave before someone gets wind that I'm here," he stated sadly and he left the room.

Cory leaned forward in her chair, grasping Danny's hands with both of her. "Oh, _chere,_ I hope I've done the right thing," she whispered.

------------------------------------

Flack flicked his phone open and dialled Carmen's number again for the eighth time. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. He'd been trying to call her since he'd stepped out of Danny's room and she wasn't picking up. He'd tried the house phone and got no answer, and then the lab only to be told she'd left an hour ago with Adam.

Flack hung up as Carmen's phone went to voicemail again. He was concerned especially after everything that had happened to her recently. He tapped his phone on his hand gently. Something was definitely going on; she always had her cell close at hand. He took a deep breath to steady his thoughts as the door to Danny's room swung open.

Papa Messer stepped into the hallway, turning his attention to the Detective whose face was severely troubled. He clasped the younger man on the shoulder.

"He'll pull through son, I'm just glad you guys managed to get rid of the bastard before Agent Reid took matters into her own hands," Papa Messer told Flack.

Flack looked down the corridor distantly, remembering it was Carmen who'd taken the killing shot.

"Me to, sir," he muttered before staring at the phone in his hands.

"She wants me to tell him about his mom; I'm not sure I can do that to him. How do you tell a kid his mother ain't' dead?" Papa Messer asked Flack.

"It's better for him to find out now, than to find out we've all been keeping it a secret from him," Flack pointed out.

Papa Messer bowed his head thoughtfully.

"I better take off kid," he muttered before striding down the corridor and towards the nearest exit.

Flack glanced down at the phone in his hands before trying to call Carmen again.

---------------------------

The apartment was dark when Flack opened the door. He frowned at the freezing wind that was rushing through it. His eyes strayed to the open French windows that let out onto the balcony. Carmen's jacket was thrown on the couch along with her cell, gun and badge.

His heart was racing in his chest as he approached the open French windows slowly. The fear itself he knew was irrational; she'd never do such a thing. His eyes fell on her.

Carmen was leaning against the guard rail of the balcony, her eyes intent on the darkening view of the city in front of her. Her long auburn hair was fluttering away from her in the wind. He'd never seen her look so broken. Flack's heart went out to her as he reached out.

-------------------------

"Carmen." Flack's hand touched my shoulder gently as he spoke.

My body was rigid with tension as I turned around to face him. His cornflower blue eyes were on mine. His concern evident in them.

"Are you ok?" he asked studying me.

"Yea, of course," I told him, my smile not quite reaching its full potential.

Flack crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head.

"Erm Princess, you have blood on your shoes," he informed me.

I followed his gaze, feeling myself beginning to crack. He was right, thick red splodges tainted the white of my sneakers. I closed my eyes trying to reign in all the bubbling emotions. It didn't work. Tears were running down my eyes as I turned away from Flack and focused on the skyline. I choked on a sob; my chest was hurting as I tried to hold it all back.

"Carmen, talk to me," Flack whispered, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my body tightly.

Flack's kissed my hair, his body felt soothing as he pulled me against his body, turning me to face him.

"You're shaking," he murmured, his cheek pressed against mine.

I ground my teeth together, clutching onto his shirt.

"I can't stop," I admitted.

Flack's hand was caressing my hair gently. As he pressed his lips against my head over and over again.

"Please, talk to me baby. I'm worried about you," he told me softly.

It was then that I completely broke down.

"I can't do this anymore Don, I can't do this job," I heard his swift intake of breath. "It's too damn much. There's always something worse around the corner. It's destroying people's lives. Danny almost died today. Oh my God, there was so much blood…" I ranted, unable to stop the tears flooding down my cheeks.

"Shh, Danny's going to recover, he's strong. You're looking at all of the bad things Carmen, you're not focusing on the good," Flack's tone was light; I knew he was trying not to provoke me.

"It's hard to see the good when everything's going wrong. I mean it this is getting too much!" I exclaimed.

"You know it gets like this, you have to take the good with the bad otherwise you become jaded. You've spent your whole life doing this job; can you really see yourself wanting to do anything else?" Flack pointed out.

I shook my head miserably.

"I know how you feel, Princess—trust me I really do—but you have to think of the people you've helped. Look at Eddy's kid Jordan, eventually he would have hurt someone or gotten hurt himself and you saved him from that. Look at all the other people you've put your life on the line for, all the people you've saved. It's natural to get disheartened, seeing everything that we see. The thing is you have to keep trying, you're making a difference in people's lives and that's what matters." Flack's words penetrated through to me as I gazed up into his face.

His bright blue eyes were shining as he spoke; I could his belief in them. His faith in the job, his faith in me.

"I know this has been an awful week, hell if we're gonna be honest let's go with month, but it can't get worse that it is now. You've been through these patches before and you know how they turn out, it can only get better from here on in."

Flack cradled my face gently, as his lips brushed mine.

"You can do this. I know you can," he murmured, brushing my hair away from my face.

I pulled away from Flack I wiped at my eyes with my sleeve, still sniffing. Flack had somehow guided me into the apartment. He was locking the French doors as I dropped onto the couch.

"Everything just felt so hopeless, O'Brian and then Dresden, Lucinda and Danny and then top that off with getting hit by a car, Sonny claiming I'm a prison pin up and Oswald trying to get the ultimate revenge. It's just too much for me," I confessed, curling up into the corner of the couch.

Flack sat down next to me, his arms moving around my waist and pulling me into his lap.

"What you have to focus on, is the fact that you've got through all of it. Don't you think maybe this all happened for a reason, if Dresden had stalked you would never have found out about Oswald and saved Danny and Stella." He paused for a second, giving me time to take this in. "You don't have to worry about Dresden, Oswald, O'Brian and especially not Sonny anymore. As for Lucinda, let me take care of that. You just have to sit back and relax. I promise you it gets better." Flack cuddled me closely.

His words made sense as I thought them over carefully. He was right of course, my crisis of faith was due to the stress, but now this was all over the only thing I really had to focus on was what was happening in life right now. I had to forget about everything to move forward. I had to learn from it.

There was a gently rapping on the door. I glanced at Flack frowning. He bent down and kissed my forehead.

"That will be my parents returning Thomas," Flack said helping me up.

Flack was the first one to make it to the door out of the two of us. He paused as he reached for the lock on the door, turning his head towards me. Our eyes met I could see the belief in them.

"At the end of the day, we're making the world a safer place for him and all the other children we swore an oath to protect."

_**Hello peeps, thanks to all the reviewers, and to Sparkycsi for co-writing this chapter with me!!! You'll recognize the Cory moments as hers. My Miracle story is up and running if you want to take a peek and this story is progressing nicely! Oh and Gotham's Heroes has a new chapter too! Reviews are appreciated.**_

_Katydid13: It was Carmen that killed him, but I am petty glad he's dead. They didn't need someone like him running around inflicting any more damage. Thanks for the review!_

_Bluehavan4220: lol you're just going to have to get stuck wit a few cliff hangers unfortunately. It's the way the chapters end! Thanks for the review and the info you sent me._

_Sparkycsi: lol I know what you mean about swelled heads! I get one every time I get a nice review! I am way over loading your inbox; You end up in work today? Lol the guy would be a bloody pulp if Cory got her way._

_Maddy Bellows: lol I wanted a few conclusions after the Danny thing, and I honestly think that's the way she would have reacted, she wasn't sorry she killed him because he was one of those people who were just created evil and he would continue hurting people. Mac and Stella are strong people they'll get by. Lol no worries about the miracle ff. G.H's new chapters up!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol you'll see. I wanted to show what Mac and Stella are getting up to because I haven't been showing much of them recently. Lol I missed the wedding but I will be watching it next week!_


	78. Chapter 78: Hospital Visits

Chapter Seventy Eight

_Doesn't matter what the pain we go through  
Doesn't matter if the money's gone too  
Just as long as I'm with you  
Nobody but you, baby, baby_

_Janet Jackson – Doesn't Really Matter_

Matt was leaning back in his chair watching Taylor sleep. The operation had gone well according to the doctors. They'd told them that Taylor should be making a full recovery over the next few days. She'd slept most of the time as her body tried to recover from the shock of coping with one organ. The doctors had told him that both Taylor and Gus were going to be living healthy lives. There hadn't been much time to talk in the past few days. He'd taken a week off work to take care of her after the operation until she got back on her feet.

Matt reached out and smoothed the hair from Taylor's forehead. He frowned. It was abnormally hot. He touched her cheeks gently, her face was also hot. He grasped her hand feeling panic flutter in his chest. Her hand was ice cold.

He knew this wasn't right. Matt pushed the call impatiently, and then again.

The door swung open revealing nurse clad in pink scrubs.

"She's got a fever, her hands are cold but her head's hot." Matt was on his feet, his heart racing.

The nurse rushed to Taylor's bedside, her hand instantly on the younger woman's forehead. Taylor's body suddenly began to thrash, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The nurse's hand crashed down on the call button again, followed by another nurse.

Matt looked on in horror as the nurse tried to hold down Taylor's body to stop her from hurting herself.

"Get Doctor Bernard!" she yelled to the other nurse who scurried in the opposite direction.

Matt took hold of Taylor's hand tightly. He didn't know the words to say.

"Taylor baby, please…"

"I need him out now." At some point the doctor had swept in and was helping the nurse restrain Taylor's limbs.

"What's happening?" Matt questioned, staring at the older man.

"Nurse! Get him out of here!" The doctor commanded.

The nurse was shooing Matt out now through the door.

"Just tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

The nurse gave Matt a sympathetic look.

"I'll come find you when we know," she said softly before shutting the door in his face.

Matt stood there for a moment, stunned, inhaling and exhaling, before he slid into a nearby chair, with his head in his hands, praying.

-------------------------------------------

"Then this Mr Whippy decides to run, so of course, I'm chasing down this guy dressed in a full ice cream costume, cone and everything. The worst part is, I have to take him down in front of all these kids, who just break down in tears because the moment he hits the ground Mr Whippy's head rolls off." I couldn't stifle the laughter that overwhelmed me as I sipped my cup of tea whilst listening to Gus's story.

"I can't believe it, those poor kids." I giggled.

Gus snorted.

"Poor me you know how hard it is trying to cuff a giant ice cream cone?" I laughed harder at her lopsided grin.

It took a few minutes for the both of us to calm down before I broke in to the conversation again.

"Seriously though, how are you feeling?" I asked her with a slight smile as she reached for the box of donuts I had thoughtfully brought with me this morning.

"I feel better than ever, well better than when I had the cancer anyway. The doctor's say my body seems to be accepting its newest addition so I'm hopeful," Gus told me honestly, before taking a bite out of her donut. "Mac came to see me this morning, told me about what happened yesterday."

I bowed my head and wrapped my hands around my tea before meeting her gaze.

"I know it could have been a lot worse…" I repeated Flack's words from last night.

"And thanks to you it wasn't, so quit wallowing and start planning the party for when me, Taylor and Danny get out of this place," Gus urged me, causing a grin to spread across my face.

"What makes you think that's not already in the pipeline?" I teased.

Gus raised an eyebrow before offering me a donut and taking another.

"I know you guys, the lab's probably swamped at the minute, you're down a CSI and you're stuck on lab work for at least another two days," Gus reminded me.

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Sometimes I wish you were a lot less perceptive. Anyway they're putting Adam in the field, he starts his gun training in the next few days, and yours truly gets to show him the ropes," I informed her, taking a bit out of my favourite pink iced donut.

"That'll be fun. Adam's a great guy; he's probably thrilled to be in the field," Gus inputted.

I nodded my agreement, before checking my watch.

"I gotta go check on Taylor, before I drop in and see Danny," I told her crestfallen.

"You're certainly doing the rounds today," Gus said with a knowing look, as I stood up and slipped my jacket on.

"Flack said he'd bring Thomas for a visit when his shift ends," I notified her.

"I look forward to it," Gus grinned, plucking another donut from the box.

As I stepped outside the room, I realized how good it was to see her smile.

----------------------------

I knew something was wrong the instant I spied Matt hunched in a chair outside of Taylor's room. I sped up my pace as I rushed towards him. His hands were clasped together pressed against his lips. His hazel eyes were closed and as I drew nearer I realized it looked as if he was praying.

"Matt?" I murmured slipping into the seat next to him. "What's going on? Why aren't you in Taylor's room?"

Matt raked his hands through his hair and turned his head towards me. His eyes looked red and puffy. I reached out and took his hand as he spoke.

"They've taken her up to ICU. She got a fever and then she started having a seizure," he told me squeezing his eyes closed.

I'd never seen him this upset before, I could tell he was trying to be strong and hold back all his emotions.

"She caught an infection from the transplant; they're pumping her full of antibiotics because her immune system is dangerously low. They won't let me go and see her," he whispered, rubbing at his eyes.

I closed my eyes momentarily, before taking Matt's hand and pulling him to his feet. He complied easily, staring at me confused.

"There is nothing you can do for her right now, Taylor will get better, but she needs that time to recover in a specialised area. She's in good hands and I'll be damned if she wakes up to find your not taking care of yourself. You and me are going to the café to get a coffee, and we're going to tell that nurse…" I pointed at the nurse by reception. "To come get you if anything changes."

Matt let out a deep sigh before nodding his resolution.

"I know it's hard but you'll get through it," I murmured.

Matt crossed his arms over his chest and looked distantly towards Taylor's empty room.

"It's horrible when you know you can't help the one person who keeps you sane, especially when there's no bad guy at fault," he confessed wearily.

I rubbed his back sympathetically remembering something that Mac had once told me. By the expression on Matt's face he needed to believe in it more than ever.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," I told him. "And you are both very strong people. Taylor will recover and the two of you will have a beautiful summer wedding."

Matt reached out pulling me into grateful hug. I held him tightly trying to comfort him the best I could.

"Thank you." He muttered into my shoulder.

I pulled away giving him a warm smile and patting his arm.

"Hey you had my back, it's about time I had yours."

----------------------------

Matt was stirring milk into his coffee and trying to select a sandwich when I spied Cory sitting alone in the café. Her head was tilted as she leant on one hand, staring into her coffee. I could tell morale was low for everyone at the minute. I sighed before gesturing for Matt to follow me as I weaved through the tables. I set my mug down as Cory glanced up seeing us both dropping into seats.

"Hey, I didn't realize that you were both here today," Cory said, leaning back in her seat, her hands wrapped around her coffee cup.

"I came in to check on everyone and Matt was with Taylor." I imputed. Matt's head was bowed as he unwrapped his sandwich.

"How's she doing? I feel bad I haven't had a chance to see her with everything that's been going on with Danny."

Matt froze, unsure how to answer, he looked to me for help. He clearly didn't want to out anything more on Cory's mind than she already had.

Cory caught sight of his expression and frowned before I broke in with my answer.

"She's caught an infection from the transplant; they're giving her antibiotics so there's nothing to really worry about," I informed Cory.

"What's going on with Danny?" Matt injected after swallowing a chunk of his sandwich.

I took a bite out of my own whilst keeping my eyes on Cory.

"I'm giving him some time alone with his dad." I choked at her words, almost spitting the sandwich back out of my mouth.

"Papa Messer is here?" I stared at her incredulously.

Cory nodded; she looked resigned to this fact.

"He came to see him yesterday too; I think he genuinely wants to get their relationship back on track at some point." Cory rested her chin on her hand whilst focusing on me.

"You talk to him about the thing?" I asked as Matt excused himself to get more coffee.

"He says he'll think about it," Cory whispered back.

I sighed giving Cory the "what can you do?" look.

"How's Danny himself though?" I asked as Matt returned and resume the eating of his sandwich.

"He's getting better. The doctors are confident he'll start breathing on his own soon. It's just the matter of him waking up," Cory confided sadly.

"You know Danny he's probably making the most of the time to sleep," I joked.

Cory gave me a tired smile before checking her watch.

"I better get back; I don't like leaving Danny too long in case he wakes up," Cory informed us, rising to her feet.

I pulled a face.

"That wouldn't be great thing, waking up and seeing Papa Messer standing over you," I said thoughtfully.

Cory shook her head, imagining the scenario.

"I'll catch you guys later." Cory waved us off before returning quickly to Danny's bedside.

_**Well my muse seems to be dedicated to Miracle fic, (no idea why), but I still love writing this. I'm not sure when I'll be able to next update I have a lot going on this week, and apparently we're expecting storms!!! Keep those reviews coming and will someone at least look at the Miracle story I'm putting a lot of work into it.**_

_Bluehavan4220: lol if I answered the questions you asked there'd be no reason for you to read the story. You'll just have to wait and see._

_Katydid13: lol I had to use it because I wanted to show how everything's affected her lately. It's more realistic to have someone break down then to have them just be strong all the time. Carmen doubts herself which makes her a decent protagonist._

_Sparkycsi: lol I know that's why I had to end it there because it was ideal. That line was really powerful and even I loved it. Lol it's more realistic for her to have some sort of emotional break down, I would have cracked long ago. Lol want me to kick your muse back to you?_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I'm glad I made you speechless, thank you so much, you're going to make my head explode with happiness. Lol should you be trusting me at all?_

_Sanghian: lol Sonny was the best bad guy in my pinion esp against Danny. Thanks for the review. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I didn't realize it had been dropped!_

_Maddy Bellows: That was the point; I wanted to get across everyone's reaction to the situation at hand. Even Adam got a look in. lol I wanted o make it as emotional as possible. I tried to show she's tried dealing with it by herself but she just snapped at the end and Flack helped her through the whole thing. I wanted to show the both of them reacting in their different ways to it. Lol if you wait a few chapters you get to see Flack have a little break down._

_JoanneF: lol It's not her that ends up going on vacation, but I think you may be right, she does need a rest. Lol You'll have to wait and see what happens._


	79. Chapter 79: A Matter of Faith

Chapter Seventy Nine

_Here we are again, circles never end  
__How do I find the perfect fit  
There's enough for everyone  
But I'm still waiting in line_

_Natasha Bedingfield – Soulmate_

The break room was quiet as Adam and I sat at the table, me flicking through reports and sipping coffee, and Adam filling out the paperwork that would allow him to use carry a gun in the field. We were the only two not in the field at the current moment. Adam because he had to fill in multiple forms and me due to my shoulder. Part of the reason I was sitting in the break room was so that I could help Adam with this forms and I was enjoying the company.

"Can I ask you something?" Adam's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

I raised my eyes to meet his, giving him a warm smile.

"Anything," I said leaning back in my chair and playing with my pen between my fingers.

"How many people have you shot?" he asked looking down at the form in front of him.

The question took me by surprise as I thought about it.

"I'm not sure, if we're talking kill shots…" I shivered remembering yesterday. "I've killed seven people in my life, that's only because I've had no other options. If we're talking about shot in general, it's about twenty or more, I lose count, sometimes people are stupid enough not to put down their weapons."

I shrugged, before seeing the expression on Adam's face.

"Why are you asking?" Adam blushed before looking away from my gaze and rising to his feet.

"You want more coffee?" It was clear he was trying to change the subject.

"It's natural to be nervous about getting your gun licence. Hell, I didn't know what the hell I was going to do with my gun the first time I got it. The first time I shot someone… You're always surprised because you react instinctively, I have no idea how it happens but your system just responds to the situation, and before you know it it's happened," I tried to explain.

I knew I wasn't really being successful with what I was trying to say. Adam had his back to me now but I knew he was listening to me intently from his stance.

"It's best not to worry about it until it happens, just take everything as it comes," I advised.

Adam's shoulders slumped as he stirred the coffee.

"What are you more worried about? When to shoot or the killing part?" I asked kindly as Adam turned to face me, wearing his worried face.

"It's both. I just can't understand how someone can be okay taking another persons life…" Adam trailed off realizing what he was saying, before his cheeks flushed red again.

I gave him an awkward nod.

"It's not okay; the first time I killed someone I threw up straight after. The only reason I'm not in therapy right now is because you learn to deal with. You leave it until the last second when you know you've exhausted every possible option apart from the one you're about to use. I'm not saying it's easy, far from it, but you learn to deal with it, because you know if you didn't then it could be you or one of your friends lying on the mortuary table, and the bad guys certainly wouldn't be crying over your body…" I paused for a few seconds letting Adam take this in. "Part of your responsibility as a CSI and as a cop is to protect and serve. No matter what happens Adam, someone will always be watching your back. And they expect you to be doing the same."

Adam was fiddling with his own pen now, and was refusing to look at me. I reached out and touched his hand gently. He flinched, yanking his hand back.

"I'm sorry," I murmured remembering this was a characteristic of abuse victims.

"I just don't think I'm cut out for this, maybe I ought to tell Mac he's made a mistake," he sighed in a child like voice.

My heart melted as his words hit me deep down, I knew what Adam had been through and like so many people who'd been through the same thing he'd been made to feel worthless about himself.

"Look I'm guessing that all your life you've been told you're useless and that you're not going to amount to anything right?" Adam's eyes met mine and I could see how downcast he felt.

"You graduated top of your class in college Adam, that has to be worth something. Mac Taylor, The Mac Taylor, picked you to become a lab tech in the finest lab in the country because you were the best. Now he's putting you in the field because he believes that you have what it takes to represent the best Crime Lab in the country. Mac wouldn't have picked you if he didn't think that you could do this Adam, he believes in you and so do I," I enforced sternly. Adam raised his head and jutted out his chin.

"You really think he thinks that?" Adam asked incredulously.

"You're filling out forms to become a full time CSI aren't you?" I pointed out. "The point is Adam, you have to let go of the past and start believing it too. You have a team that supports you every step of the way because they care," I told him honestly.

Adam flushed again obviously pleased but also embarrassed at my words.

"Could you…could we go down to the gallery and you talk me through it again? I didn't want to ask the teacher, he was like a drill sergeant on steroids," Adam said quietly.

That made me think that maybe Adam's father was that way too.

"Of course. I'll just shift all of this and then we can get going," I grinned, gathering all my papers together and cupping them underneath my good arm.

My shoulder had mostly healed by now, but it was still a little painful if I strained it too much.

Adam scooted over to my side of the table and picked up half of my files.

"Thank you," I smiled warmly.

"Hey, if I'm apart of the team I better start helping you out a lot more; technically you're going to be my mentor," Adam reminded me.

I groaned as we lumbered through the break room door a d towards my office.

"You have no idea how old that makes me feel…" I joked.

Adam shrugged.

"You'll be running the Crime Lab one day, so it's probably best you get used to it," Adam teased as he slid the file onto my desk.

I rolled my eyes as I did the same.

"Don't even joke about that. I like the idea that Mac's going to be head of the Crime Lab forever; it gives me resolution that Sinclair's never going to be able to screw the whole thing up," I told him, before grabbing my jacket and walking along side him down the corridor.

"Besides, I'm too much of a loose canon to be considered if it ever came up," I added pressing the elevator button.

Adam crossed his arms over his chest.

"I bet you fifty that you make it to head of the Crime Lab some point after Mac retires," Adam offered.

I thought it over for a second.

"I bet I won't," I returned as we stepped into the elevator.

"Shake on it?" Adam stuck his hand out.

"You wanna lose fifty bucks that badly?" I took Adam's hand and shook it.

"You have a deal Mr Ross."

----------------------------------

Cory turned the page of her book, her voice covering the beeping of the machines. She was reading the latest James Patterson book to Danny. She had talked to Hawkes who had told her that it was a great possibility that Danny would be able to hear her, even in his coma. She paused as she heard the door open, making sure to mark the spot, since she was getting to the resolution of the case, and looked up. Her expression grew closed as Papa Messer walked in. "Mr. Messer," she said without expression.

Papa Messer looked at her, his eyes boring into her. He could tell that sitting at Danny's beside was taking its toll on her. "Please, call me Reggie," he said softly, taking his place across the bed from her.

Cory smiled softly while shaking her head. "To be completely honest with you, I don't think I can do that."

Papa Messer shook his head in confusion. "Why? Because you're an FBI agent and I'm part of the Mob?"

Cory laughed. "Partly, yes, but mostly because I'm from the south and my southern manners won't allow that," she pointed out with a drawl.

Papa Messer smiled. "Okay, I'll give you that." He looked down at Danny before continuing, "So, how's he doing?"

Cory exhaled gustily. "No change, yet." She smiled ironically. "The doctors keep telling me that it will just take time, but…" she trailed off, unsure of how to vocalize what she was feeling.

"You just want everything to go back to normal," Papa Messer finished for her.

"Yeah."

"Danny's strong, Corrine. He'll pull through this." He paused before deciding to throw caution to the wind. "I know that you've been through a hell of a lot in your life, but don't let the past hold you back."

Cory looked at him in surprise. "Why? How much do you know about me?" she shot back with some anger.

Papa Messer didn't react to her anger; he just smiled. "You're dating my youngest son. I make it my business to find out everything about the person that he is falling in love with. I don't want him to be a pawn in the ever changing game of the Mob."

Cory felt her anger ebb away at his response. "You love him. He needs to know that. Life is too short for him to continue thinking that he doesn't mean anything to you," she advised while she got up. "Since you are here, I'm going to take a break to go take a shower in the nurse's lounge."

Papa Messer nodded, knowing that she needed a break. "I'll have a nurse come and get you if anything changes."

"Thanks," she said quietly as she exited the room.

-------------------------------

Mac raised his head as the door to his office and smiled as Stella stepped inside. He leaned back in his chair surveying her.

"I was about to call you, to see how you're doing," he told her, resting his head on his hand.

Stella gave Mac a knowing nod.

"I'm fine, still a little shaken, Crime Scene clean up is still going through my apartment," Stella informed him sliding into the char across form him.

"You can stay at mine another night, I've got the room," he told her with an honest expression on his face.

"That would be great," Stella replied softly, beaming at him. "Actually I had something else to ask you."

Mac leaned forward concerned; his eyes were studying her intently.

"Anything," he told her as she rearranged herself on the chair.

Mac could tell Stella was nervous. She looked down at her hands before giving him a hopeful smile.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go away for a few days. It would only be a week, to Paris. I thought it would be good to get away together. You know we both deserve a holiday after everything that's happened and I thought why not take it together?" Stella pursed her lips together, watching the expression on Mac's face.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking but she knew he didn't like the idea of leaving the lab alone, on top of that, this would be taking a big step in their relationship and Mac might not be ready for that.

Mac rested his elbows on his desk, meeting Stella's beautiful gaze.

"It would be mid May, by that time Tay and Gus will be on road back to work, Danny will hopefully be recovering. We'll be leaving Carmen, Adam and Hawkes with some trusted people from the day shift, and it'll only be fore a week," Stella broke in before Mac could speak.

"I think your missing one very crucial point here, who will be running the lab if me and you go away?" Mac pointed out.

Stella knew this was the whole basis for his argument; she'd already solved that problem too. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving Mac a smug smile.

"Carmen, she has the experience and I think the responsibility would be good for her." Stella smirked.

Mac stared at Stella open mouthed.

"I can't leave my lab in the hands of Carmen; she has a son and it'll interfere. The role of head of the Crime Lab is a 24/7 job," Mac told Stella firmly.

Stella rolled her eyes.

"Carmen is the best person as any to run the Crime Lab, she's capable, dedicated and she won't let herself be bullied by any of the other brass. We'd only be going for a week and you can call her every hour on the hour if needs be to make sure the labs' still standing," Stella tried to persuade Mac.

"You've really thought this out," Mac stated gloomily from the other side of the desk.

"That's because I really want you to come, it'll be fun, and you told me yourself you wanted to see the sights." Stella's smile faded as she approached the real issue at hand. "Look if you're not ready for this stage of the relationship, then tell me, do not blame it on the fact you think Carmen's incapable of running the Crime Lab because we both know that's not true."

Mac let out a deep sigh before clasping his hands together. He fixed Stella with his vivid green eyes.

"Are you sure about this? I mean really sure." Mac asked her.

Stella nodded vigorously. Mac shuffled some of the papers in front of him before responding.

"If Carmen agrees and Danny's out of the coma by the end of next week then you can book the tickets," Mac told Stella sternly.

Stella jumped to her feet before leaning across the desk and kissing Mac's cheek gently.

"You are not going to regret this Detective Taylor," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into loving embrace.

Mac returned the embrace, smiling to himself, he loved seeing her happy. Stella pulled away, seeing the smile on Mac's face and shaking her head.

"You were going to say yes all along weren't you?" she quizzed, giving him a suspicious look.

"I can't make it too easy for you can I?" he grinned before making a shooing motion.

Stella shook her head, not quite able to believe that Mac's answer.

"Go…Fight crime." Mac ushered her out of his office before returning to his desk to work on his latest findings.

_**Woot!!! I managed to post up a new chapter!!! Anyway the next months going to be a little probmatic for me, but I'll meet that challenge when I come to it.**_

_Sparkycsi: You are a fab beta! Thanks for all your help on these stories! Lol I've told my muse to ship her over to you, she should come in a crate that states "beware of the dragon." Lol that's how I wanted it to be, so everyone ids affected by what is happening. _

_Bluehavan4220: Ah well you will have to wait until the next chapter to see. Infections are a pain in the ass but they do happen._

_Katydid13: Your right Gus wouldn't be able to live with it if Tay died. I think that's what I like about Gus, she's a diff char for me to play with._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol let's just say maybe you shouldn't trust me as much as you do, but you'll have to wait and see what happens, I have a lot planned. Having so many chars you have to show what's going in with who. Happy Birthday to you!!!! Poor you with the home work though I feel for you. I've taken my bday weekend off work so I can celebrate._

_Daisyangel: lol because I've been focusing n all the other chars I kind of glanced over Taylor, she has a few funny moments when it leads up to Matt and her's wedding so she will feature a little bit more. Congrats to your sister! Lol I would have cracked a hell of a long time ago if I was her._


	80. Chapter 80: Truth Be Told

Chapter Eighty

_And I knew that  
The lights of this city  
Were too heavy for me  
And Though I carry karats  
For everyone to see_

_Fall Out Boy – Golden_

"Hey sunshine, how you doing? Look whose come to see you," Flack said as he entered Gus's room.

Thomas was clinging to his hands as he tried to toddle along alone across the floor.

"Gus! Gus!" Thomas shouted as Flack swooped him up and placed him on the bed. Gus took the small child with open arms grinning.

"You've grown little Flack, haven't you?" Gus exclaimed, tickling Thomas's belly.

Flack took the seat next to the bed as his son let out a howl of laughter.

"I think he missed his Aunt Gus," Flack beamed as Thomas threw his arms around Gus's neck and cuddled up to her.

"He's certainly affectionate," she agreed, hugging him close before looking up at Flack.

"Hey, is there any news on Taylor? I keep asking the nurses but they're not telling me a thing." Gus's expression turned earnest as her cheeks flushed a little. "I wanted to say thank you, you know for giving me another shot."

Flack looked down at his hands, his face turning solemn before his eyes met hers. Gus frowned, her lips parting slightly.

"She's not…" her voice trembled as she spoke.

Flack shook his head, clasping his hands together in front of him. He hadn't wanted to tell Gus any of this but she was his partner and he had to be honest, she knew when he was lying, so he decided to tell her the truth.

"She's sick; she caught an infection from the transplants. She's in ICU and their pumping her full of antibiotics while we speak." He hesitated before continuing, "Nobody's sure what the out comes going to be, they hope they caught it in time."

Flack winced at the expression on Gus's face as Thomas's toyed with her wavy blond hair. Gus looked horrified at the news.

"Oh God," she whispered, turning her head back to Thomas.

Flack could tell she was blinking back tears. He reached out touching her hand gently. Her gaze shifted back to him, green eyes wide, she was stunned. Flack already knew what thoughts were about to go rambling through her head. He decided to out a stop to them there and then.

"This is not your fault; Taylor chose to do this because she's your friend. You didn't give her an infection and let's not even go down the road of if you had never told anybody about the cancer, because we can't change what's happened but we can deal with it. Trust me sunshine, their doing the best they can right no and they say it looks positive."

Gus cursed under her breath, putting her hands on Thomas's waist as he tried to bounce on the bed.

"How come nobody's mentioned it until now?" she asked Flack, watching as Thomas bounced up and down.

"They didn't want you to feel responsible; they didn't want to put more pressure on you. Everyone wants you to focus on you getting better, and that's what you're going to do." Flack told her firmly.

Gus cursed again, shaking her head.

"Shit!"

Flack and Gus's heads swiveled towards Thomas as he bounced again, his fists in the air with glee, shouting the word again.

"Shit! Shit!" he chanted as he jumped again.

Flack and Gus exchanged open mouthed glances, before cringing in unison.

"You do know that Carmen is going to kill you right?" Flack reminded her taking Thomas off the bed and setting the small child on his lap.

"Oh yea…" Gus agreed putting a hand to her head, unable to believe that she let the expletive slip out.

"Now look Thomas, that word…" Flack began sternly.

"Shit?!" Thomas exclaimed again.

"Yes that word, well you're not allowed to say it. It's a word for grown ups to use when their very upset. But you aren't allowed to use it because your not a grown up. Do you understand me?" Flack asked, looking pointedly at the child.

"Shit!" Thomas exclaimed excitedly, using Flack's shirt to climb up into a standing position.

Gus was sniggering as Flack looked at her over the top of Thomas's dark head.

"I am so dead," he muttered as he tried to explain to Thomas for the second time, why he shouldn't say that word in front of mommy.

------------------------------

Matt was sitting in the chair next to Taylor, watching her face gravely as the machine beeped in the background. His hands were clasped together tightly in front of him, as he let out another sigh.

He'd been sitting here all day willing her to wake up. The longer she lay asleep the more worried he became about the long term damage of the infection.

Matt's hazel eyes rested on the ruby engagement ring he'd put on Taylor's finger days before. He knew that elsewhere in the hospital Cory was doing the same thing, staying vigilant at her loved one's side. He wondered how this had happened, it was actually hurting him, the idea that Taylor might not wake up. He wasn't sure how he'd cope if she slipped away.

It wouldn't be fair; she'd helped so many people cross over, why should it be her turn to die now? Matt shook his head in attempt to dispel the thoughts that were rebounding around his head.

He rubbed his face with his hands before averting his eyes to Taylor's face. A low groan emitted from her lips causing him to jump startled from his chair. He was on his feet and standing next to her in an instant, taking her hand gently in his.

"Taylor?" he asked softly.

Taylor groaned again, her eyelids fluttering. Matt watched as she blinked again trying to clear her vision before her gaze fell on Matt who was hovering worrisomely.

"Matt?" she whispered, her voice was hoarse.

"Welcome back Beautiful, you gave us quite a scare," he told her, relief flooding him.

"Water…" she rasped trying to sit up in bed.

Matt moved to the water jug pouring it quickly before holding the cup to her lips to help her drink from it.

"I feel so weak," Taylor complained, resting her head back against the pillow.

"That's because your immune system's being pumped with antibiotics," Matt informed her.

Taylor frowned at him wearily, before groping for his hand.

"Tell me what happened," she croaked.

Matt took a deep breath before explaining the past ten hours.

-----------------------------------

"Hey, that was some damn good shooting out there," I complimented Adam as we tread back through the lab after our round at the gallery.

"I play a lot of shoot em ups," Adam stated, looking pretty pleased with himself.

"It definitely paid off, that test isn't going to be a problem for you," I informed his, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Adam bowed his head modestly before meeting my gaze.

"You really think so?" he asked quietly.

"Adam, I haven't seen shooting like that in a long time. You're a natural!" I exclaimed honestly.

"And where have you two been?" Mac called as he strode towards us from the Trace Lab.

"I was helping Adam out with his shooting. I'm telling you Mac he's a fantastic shot."

Adam blushed deep red at my words. Mac's head turned towards him, a tiny smile playing on his lips.

"I wouldn't expect anything but the best," Mac told Adam.

I could hear the pride in his voice as he spoke. Adam blushed even more under Mac's scrutiny.

"Thank you, sir," he murmured.

"Don't call me sir," Mac reminded him, before turning to me. "I was wondering if you'd do me a favor."

I shrugged.

"Depends what it is," I replied.

"I need you to run the Crime lab, it'll only be for a week and only if Danny wakes up in the next week." Mac's request blew me away.

I stared at him stunned, practically unable to speak.

"What?! Are you serious? I mean really are you serious?!" I couldn't stop the words that were coming out of my mouth because I had no idea what to say.

"Stella wants us to go to Paris for a few days in May, and I'd like to go, so if you don't have a problem with it…" Mac regarded me thoughtfully.

I was still standing there, mouth hanging open. Mac Taylor was taking time off work, for a relationship…I still couldn't speak.

"I'd love too; I mean if you really want me too…You know because I'm sure there's other people…" I ranted.

I couldn't make myself shut up.

"I'll run through a few things with you closer to the time but I'll warn you Carmen it's not easy and I'll be ringing you every single day to ensure that the lab's running smoothly. You think you can handle this?" Mac asked his eyes fixed on mine.

I could feel myself nodding, but I was still shocked as hell by the whole scenario.

"We'll talk more about it in a few weeks time, now I want you two back in the Trace Lab, we're snowed under as it is." With those parting words Mac turned on his heel and was striding back into his office.

I starred after him, my brain still unable to function.

"Did that just happen?" I asked Adam who was still watching Mac's back, with the same blank expression.

"I'm pretty sure it did, but we may have to check CCTV for clarification," he joked, his arms folded over his chest.

"You know what this means?" Adam asked me as I shook my head, still in absolute shock.

"You owe me fifty bucks Detective Devine."

I willingly handed it over.

_**So what do you guys think? I hope you enjoyed it, as usual thanks to Sparky for beating and listening to my ramble about plot details. Lol reviews make me smile especially when I have a bad day so keep them coming. I took a tumble today and took two chunks out of my fingers, so I'm not a happy bunny as it stings like hell, we also have gale force winds here, so it's vexing. **_

_Laplandgurl: I'm genuinely sorry to hear about your brother. I wanted something normal to happen to my chars so I brain stormed a little with Maddy and this is what we came up with. lol you'll find out in a few chapters time that tat is the exact reason __that Mac ended up picking her, because she won't let anyone wreck his lab. It's what she does best. _

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol the fact she has to hand over the money is the worst part, she certainly could not see it coming, because her lack of respect for authority. Lol it would be fun if you could do that._

_Bluehavan4220: lol of course you can this is a little bit of a trial for her before everything kicks off; it also helps me with a current storyline. Lol I love Stella but I don't use her much._

_Kaydid13: I'm glad you lie it, with so many chars there's always different stuff being tossed around that's why I love writing and creating plotlines for this piece. It's hard though with so many._

_Sparkycsi: I fully intend to jump the crate and take Jimmy with me at the min, I can't stop writing at the min, especially with the whole big storyline I'm about to pull off! We have gale force winds here. Lol I think with Stella it's easier for Mac to make an effort because she knows when to push his boundaries. Lol I'm trying to get a proper conversation going with Lucie and PM, at the min and they don't want to but I'll figure it out. Miracle keeps bugging me at the min._


	81. Chapter 81: Bad Timing

Chapter Eighty One

_My dear,_

_It's time to say I thank god for you.  
I thank god for you _

_In each and every single way. _

_I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones_

_Bif Naked – Lucky Ones_

Cory sighed as she settled down in the chair after the doctors left. She leaned back, feeling her vertebra pop as some of the tension eased out of her body. She closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off to sleep.

Cory opened her eyes and realized that she was back in Limbo, Armando standing in front of her. "Armando? Why are you here?"

Armando sighed and didn't look her in her eyes.

Cory shook her head, knowing what that meant. "No. I refuse to have a vision while Danny is on life support in the hospital. You can just tell the Powers to go to hell!" she raged.

"This is out of my hands, Cory. There's so much that you still have to see and the Powers are trying to give you the information as slowly as they can, so you don't get overwhelmed." He shook his head. "I know that this is really bad timing and if I could change it, I would, but I can't. I can only try to cushion the effects of what you see."

Cory nodded as she sighed. "Fine," she said as she stuck out her hand. "Let's get this over with."

They were back in the hospital, a room with one lone life support machine beeping. Cory heard a rattling breath from the person in the bed that caused her to twist her heard towards the culprit.

Taylor's eyelids were fluttering open as she let out a groan of pain.

"That is so not good," Taylor said out loud to herself as she tried to move into a sitting position. Her head turned quickly as if something had caught her eye.

"Hey," she said. "I'm glad to see that at least one of us is still standing."

Cory turned her head to where Taylor was standing and saw nothing.

"Is everyone ok? I mean it was a pretty big blast…but I suppose you're all used to them," Taylor continued to chatter to the space between the chair and the door.

"How come you're not sitting down Flack? Are you off to see Carmen; is she ok?" Taylor asked the space anxious. Cory felt her chest tighten.

Taylor let out a gasp, her face going ashen as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"No… no… no…You're not dead, you can't be!" Taylor shouted.

"You have to get back in your body Flack, you can't die!"

Taylor's yelling had drawn attention from a nurse in passing. The nurse in question was attempting to sooth Taylor who in turn was having none of it.

"I'm serious Flack, you can't wander around here, you have to go back into your body or move on, you can't be here!" Taylor screeched.

The nurse had pressed the call button now, as Taylor was thrashing against her in the bed. Another nurse appeared, rushing to the aid of the one Taylor was already locked in a battle with.

Taylor was still yelling at Flack to move on when Armando grabbed Cory's hand again. "That's enough for now," he said quietly as they vanished back to Limbo, the echoes of Taylor's anguished cries haunting Cory.

-------------------------------------

The hospital was as busy as ever as I traipsed through the waiting room and down the corridor carrying the hold all in one hand and the bag of take out in the other.

Cory had called me a few hours ago to ask me to pick up some of her things from her place and bring them to the hospital for her. So with the spare key I knew Danny kept in his locker, I did as she asked and had also brought her food.

I knew this whole situation was tough on Cory, so I was striving to try and make it easier for her, I knew she wouldn't leave his side until he woke up. Her past wasn't setting a very good example for her future. On top of that, I think she also found Papa Messer's continuous visits somewhat draining. She said it was nice to have the company… I couldn't really go with that.

Ever since I'd first met Papa Messer he'd scared the crap out of me. Flack was here most days checking up on not only Danny but Cory, Gus and Taylor as well. I knew Mac had been to visit at some point in the past eight hours along with Stella and Sheldon too.

I pushed open the door to Danny's room, before raising my gaze to Cory's face.

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?" I questioned dumping the hold all on one side of the door, a concerned expression etched on my face.

Cory shook her head as if trying to clear it.

"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream," she told me.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked taking the little boxes of takeout out of the bag and handing her one and a set of chopsticks.

Cory shook her head again and gave me a tight smile.

"No, it'll be fine," she said before opening the white carton and digging in.

I leaned against the door cabinet next to the door as I did the same.

"I'm surprised the smell of all this takeout hasn't woken him up yet, usually he'd be wolfing it down," I said with a small smile, remembering a few of the better days.

"The doctors are taking him off the respirator tomorrow they think that he's ready to breathe on his own," Cory told me, her eyes still on her food.

"That's good; it shows that he's improving. Still the waiting must be killing you though," I mentioned, watching Cory over the top of my carton.

"I know that's your way of asking how I'm holding up," Cory replied chewing. "And I'm doing fine. It's just it keeps reminding me of when James died, and I really can't lose Danny. I love him and I don't know what I'll do without him," Cory confessed.

I could hear the emotion in her voice and I wasn't surprised for it, I suspected Cory and Danny had been in love with each other for a long time.

"He'll wake up," I assured her, setting my carton on the cabinet and handing Cory the can of Dr Pepper from the takeout bag.

"I know." Cory smiled a little as she took the can from my hand.

"I'm glad you're remaining so positive, I was a mess when Flack got blown up and we weren't even dating then," I told her, resuming my eating.

"You took him in after he got out the hospital didn't you? Danny said something about it," Cory asked, taking a sip from the Dr Pepper.

Her eyes were on me intense as I used the chopsticks to bring pieces of beef to my mouth.

"Yea, I kinda felt it was my fault that he got the worst of the blast, he pushed me behind him when the bomb went off," I told her softly as I thought back. "He had intensive physiotherapy whilst he was in the hospital for three months, when he got out of hospital he needed constant supervision because the muscles in his chest were still weak. It was only meant to be for a few days but it turned into a few months. It was hard the first few weeks, he got really depressed because nobody was sure whether he'd be able to go back to the job or not."

I paused to get out my own can of Coke and sip from it. Cory waited silently for the next part of the story.

"By that time I was having nightmares from the blast and it was nice to have someone to hold you when you go through that. We pretty much took each day as it came, Flack went to physio most days and I went to work on lighter shifts, his recovery was pretty slow but he got through it and then he was moving out again." I shrugged. "It worked pretty well for us because I didn't mollycoddle him and he was quite independent. Why? You thinking about doing the same for Danny if it comes down to it?"

Cory was eyeing the bin next to me before she threw her empty carton at it; it skimmed the rim before falling into it.

"Nice shot," I murmured.

"I'm not sure yet, I don't want it to put a strain on our relationship but I'll going to be worried sick about him, if he goes back to his apartment. We may as well live together for a few months if he needs help," Cory explained.

I nodded my agreement.

"It's best to see what happens. I will warn you though, watch out for the nightmares." I advised.

Cory's head shot up, her eyes were wide and cautious as she studied me carefully.

"I know Danny and he won't want to show you if he's having trouble dealing with the aftermath of this. It's just the way he is. Flack used to pretend he didn't have them until I was walking past his room and heard him whimpering in his sleep one night." I hesitated, shaking my head sadly at the memory. "The nightmares are the lowest of the low for people like them, they won't admit their having them, but trust me he'll have them. It's up to you to be there when he does."

Cory breathed out an audible sigh of relief before nodding her agreement.

"I know what it's like hiding something like that, and I won't let him suffer in silence," she promised me.

"Good," I said before reaching into the take out bag and taking out two little mini cheesecakes.

"I brought you dessert as well." I grinned, handing Cory a plastic fork.

"You are a wonder," she beamed before taking it from me.

I shrugged.

"I didn't think you were getting much of a decent meal here, even their café is a little bit crappy," I pointed out.

Cory let out a little moan as she took the first bite of cheesecake. I gave her a knowing smile.

"Flack told me about Mac asking you to run the lab, that's quite an achievement. I have to hand it to Stella managing to get him to spend time away from the lab," Cory said playfully.

I smiled as I looking into my cheesecake.

"I know I'm proud of her, I don't know how she did it. He asked me a few days ago if I'd run it, I was so surprised I just rambled at him for five minutes because I had no idea what to say. On top of that I had to hand a fifty over to Adam because he'd made a bet about two hours before hand that Mac was gonna make me Head of the Crime lab one day. To be honest I didn't even think Mac would consider me. I don't exactly have the cleanest record and he knows I have very little respect for Sinclair and Gerrard," I responded, before taking another bite out of my cheesecake.

"Maybe that's why he picked you," Cory pointed out. "You're not gonna let the other brass mess with his lab whilst he's away."

I tilted my head from side to side as I thought that idea over.

"You maybe right there, Agent Reid." I slipped the empty cheesecake dish into the bin before checking my watch.

"Crap, visiting hours are almost over and I have to give Taylor that wedding list. Her and Gus are getting out tomorrow you know?" I told Cory, brushing the hair back away from my face.

"I know. Saying that, it's usually two days and your out after a transplant the hospital have kept them over four days now. I think Taylor's dying to get out of here," Cory informed me.

"I don't blame her; hospitals are horrible places at the best of times. I gotta get going I'll see you tomorrow."

Cory gave me a little wave before I retreated out of the door.

_**I thought it was time Cory and Carmen had a little chat, so I hope you guys like it. The Miracle fic is going strong if anyone wants to check it out. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to post another chapter this weekend. It's my bbf's 21**__**st**__**, and I'm going home for the weekend, the pc at home is less than reliable.**_

_ForestAngel: Thank you very much. I wanted something a little fun whilst they were all stuck in a dark moment. As for Tay I'm glad she's awake, she can start planning her wedding now!_

_Katydid13: lol neither did Carmen; she was pretty shocked that he even asked her. I do have a few hilarious ideas of stuff to happen when he's away though._

_Sparkycsi: LMAO! I read the Carrot! I love it, I like the way it starts. I wanna see the graffiti!!! Lol I hope your muse has returned safely because I'm dying to se what you come up with! You want me to beta? You have green beer? I am jealous. I get Malibu and coke! Lol well maybe you should start planning._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol you bake? I am poop at baking! Lol I know I couldn't help but pout the Thomas thing in, it's because it's something I know I would do accidentally. As for your favour. Go head, just make sure you use a decent part of the story! I am honoured your using my story for things._

_JoanneF: lol he has a pretty harrowing experience on his first day. I love Adam he's one of the chars that is severely underrated, but he makes me want to cuddle him. Lol I have plans for Carmen running the lab. Lol Tay's gonna be wedding planning soon!_


	82. Chapter 82: First Time For Everything

Chapter Eighty Two

_Can you lay your life down, so a stranger can live?  
Can you take what you need, but take less than you give?  
Could you close every day, without the glory and fame?  
Could you hold your head high, when no one knows your name?  
That's how legends are made, at least that's what they say._

_Bryan Adams - Never Let Go_

Adam and I were sitting in the AV lab when our beepers went off simultaneously. We glanced at each other. Adam's eyes went wide.

"Homicide on Sixty Third?" he asked nervously.

"Yep, good thing you passed your test. Grab your kit and we'll get going," I told him. 

Adam nodded before hurrying to as I said while I grabbed the keys to the SVU. My shoulder was healed and I was looking forward to getting behind the driving seat again.

-------------------------

"You didn't have to drive so fast you know, you almost made me hurl." Adam informed me as we ducked under the tape. 

I pulled a sulky face.

"My first time back behind the wheel what did you expect?" I reminded him as I stepped into the dark doorway.

Adam followed me timidly. His eyes darting from place to place as he took out his flashlight and twisted it so the light popped on. I peered around another dark door frame and then continued down the corridor.

"Are you scared of the dark?" I asked quietly.

There was an awkward pause from behind me.

"A little," Adam muttered.

I took out my own flashlight, shining it around the main living area where the body lay.

"Did you see a patrol cop outside?" I asked Adam, frowning.

"No…There should be one shouldn't there?" Adam confirmed meekly.

"Yea there should be. I find it slightly concerning," I remarked, frowning and bending closer to the body.

"Should we be here if there's no patrol cop?" Adam asked as I crouched down and opened my case.

"We're the only one's protecting the scene right now," I told Adam, as he stood behind me.

"Do me a favour and just stand guard by that door, make sure no one comes down that corridor," I requested as took out my camera and began to focus on the body of the young woman lying in front of me.

"Sure," Adam said sounding even more nervous.

"There's nothing to be nervous of...The guy has probably gone for a smoke," I tried to reassure Adam.

The truth was I was a little uneasy myself. It had to be a rookie. I watched a Adam moved into the hallway, his shape barely visible against the darkness.

I stood up taking a step back. Something caught my eye, something moving in the darkness. I moved to set down my camera down. Something cold pressed against my head freezing me in place. I knew what a gun pressed against my head felt like. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 

"Why did you have to kill her? She wasn't involved in this and you killed her!" The voice was male, and it was quivering as he spoke.

Hearing a click if the safety, I stood there resigned, thinking of my son.

Boom!

I jumped, almost hyperventilating as something heavy dropped next to me. I heard the gun clatter to the floor. I spun around to see Adam, in shooting position, gun in his hands. His mouth was wide open and gaping, as if he couldn't believe what he'd done. Adam's eyes were on the body of the man who'd just pressed a gun to my head.

"I think he was hiding in the closet over there, I didn't see him until he had a gun pressed to your head. Is he dead? Did I just kill him? Oh my God, is he dead?" Adam rambled not looking at me. 

He couldn't tear his gaze from dead guy, his gun still aimed at my chest. I knew that Adam wasn't aiming at me intentionally, he was in shock right now and he didn't realize that he was still holding his gun. I raised my hands in surrender, and took a step towards Adam, trying to meet his gaze.

"Adam…I'm going to move towards you, ok?" I asked, talking softly. 

Adam was beginning to tremble now; I could see the gun shaking as he closed his eyes, tears leaking from them and down his cheeks.

"Adam, you had to shoot him; he was going to kill me." I stepped towards him again and took the gun from his hands as slowly as I could.

I ejected the clip and disarmed the weapon, before setting it down on the floor. Adam was shaking still; he leaned against the wall gagging. I rushed towards him as he bent over gasping. I rubbed his back gently as he vomited.

"Thank you," I murmured as his ragged breathing was the only noise that could be heard throughout the room.

"I heard a shot." The face of a Rookie patrol cop appeared in the door way. 

I straightened up, my face contorting with rage, my hand still absent minded rubbing Adam's back.

"Where the Fuck were you!" I shouted across the room.

The patrol cop stared at me in shock.

"That bastard just stuck a gun to my head because you couldn't be bothered to watch over the Crime Scene. Where the fuck were you?" The rookie's eyes slid to Adam, whose hand was pressed against the wall as he started to regain his breath.

"No don't look at him, look at me. I what to know what the hell you were doing while this guy was sneaking in, because I know you weren't standing outside guarding the area when we got here." I was screaming now. 

The rookie shrank back away from me.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gerrard's booming voice erupted as him and Mac strode through the door way.

Mac's eyes were on the scene instantly, taking in the two bodies lying on the floor. Adam who was still hunched over next to me trying to breath deeply to calm himself.

"This asshole decided to take a smoke whilst attending the crime scene; I just got a gun pressed to my head. I could have died if my partner hadn't shot the guy. It's his first day!" I yelled my furious gaze still on the rookie.

Gerrard stepped forward, his hands out, approaching me.

"Now calm down Detective Devine," Gerrard commanded.

I put my hands on my hips and met Gerrard's gaze raging.

"Do not tell me to calm down!" I growled. "I just had a gun pressed to my head because your rookie wasn't doing his job, Jesus Christ take some responsibility." 

"You better watch your mouth…" I cut Gerrard off.

"No, you better watch what you say to me Gerrard. You're in the wrong here, and the only reason you're getting on my back is because you know it. I would be a different story if Adam hadn't been here, I nearly lost my life," I snarled. 

Gerrard was staring at me stunned as Mac got in between us.

"Carmen take Adam outside, you're both off this case," Mac spoke with very little emotion in his voice.

I bit back a retort before turning to Adam and wrapped my arm around his shoulders adopting a softer tone.

"Come on, let's get you some fresh air," I said lightly, helping guide Adam to the exit so Mac and Gerrard could resume their conversation. 

I gave the newbie a hostile glare as I brushed past; he at least had the decency to look ashamed.

------------------------------------------------

"Damn it Taylor, you need to teach her when to shut her mouth, she can not speak to a Senior Officer like that…" Gerrard ranted. 

Mac crossed his arms over his chest, pinning Gerrard with a hard look.

"I think she's right, you had no right to talk to her like that. She almost got her head blown off I think she has the right to be a little upset don't you. The kid who was with her, it was his first day," Mac informed Gerrard. "Your rookie made a mistake that almost cost one of my CSI's her life. Discipline him or I will." 

Smirking to himself, Mac turned his back on Gerrard and trekked up the stairs, knowing he'd made the right choice in selecting who was going to be running his lab.

---------------------------------------------

"Here, take this," I said handing Adam the bottle of water and the breath mints I'd just purchased from the nearby bodega.

Adam took them from me gratefully.

"Thanks," he muttered as he took a swig of the water. 

We were both leaning against the car, staring at the building in front to of us. I puffed my cheeks for a second and then let out the air.

"I'm sorry we got kicked off the case," he apologized.

My jaw dropped and my head twisted slowly towards him.

"Adam, you just saved me from getting my head blow off, it's more my fault for running my mouth off. To be honest I think there has to be a reason that there's two brass here for a seemingly routine case," I remarked thoughtfully. 

Adam's head was bowed as I took his hand and gave him a grim smile.

"Thank you." I paused as he turned his head to meet my gaze.

"Trust me, it does get better. You just need time to process," I assured him. 

Adam nodded. Hearing footsteps we both straightened up to see Mac striding towards us. I steeled myself for the verbal backlash from my outburst.

"I need you two to get back to the lab and start working Trace until another case comes in." I opened my mouth to speak, Mac cut me off.

"This isn't about you, this case is high profile, it's going to hit the papers and you two don't need the media interest," Mac told us sternly.

I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed looking in to the distance before taking my keys out of my pocket and unlocking the car door. 

"Adam." Mac's voice stopped us both in our tracks. I turned to see Mac clasp Adam's shoulder.

"You did the right thing."

I saw something change in Adam as Mac gave him a fatherly look. He looked more confident in himself as he climbed inside the SUV.

Mac touched my arm gently as I opened the door to climb into the driving seat.

"I know, I know watch my mouth with Gerrard," I told Mac.

The sides of Mac's mouth twitched.

"You were in the right this time." And with that Mac turned his back on us and returned to the scene of the crime.

_**Well what did everybody think of Adam's first time in the field? I love writing Adam's character. I am happily recovered form the party I went to on Saturday night, I was too ill to post anything yesterday. Anyway as usual I'm plugging my Miracle story and Gotham's Heroes, so I advise you read both peeps.**_

_Katydid13: I just sent you a new chapter! The chat was needed, Cory and Carmen haven't had too much time together recently but I do have a few fun things in the works for the future._

_Bluehavan4220: lol yay it will! Thank you! gobbles cake. Anyway I'm better now, except for uber tired. I can't believe its taking me so long to recover from Saturday; I thought I was reasonably sober when I left that party. Lol It gets worse just wait for her other visions._

_DaisyAngel: lol it was so something that I would accidentally end up doing myself in front of a child. The convo was needed they haven't had much time together recently._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I will make you bake for me! Lol her running the lab is not quite going to happen just yet, but I do have a few cool things cooked up in my head for it!_

_Maddy Bellows: I hope you had fun at the wedding! I was at my bbf's twenty first on Saturday, and that was pretty fun. Lol it's just something I can see Gus accidentally doing. Lol those visions are truly horrible, the next few will be. It's like how badly can I mess everyone up. Lol The bunnies are on their way now!_


	83. Chapter 83: Break Downs and Bodies

Chapter Eighty Three

_You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, _

_You know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No I won't give in_

_Avril Lavigne – Keep Holding On_

The crime scene was swarming with people as Stella pushed through the members of press to get to it. She ducked under the tape before finding herself face to face with Mac. 

"What do we have?" she asked.

Stella's beautiful eyes darted towards the press as they struggled and fought each other for photographs. Mac took Stella's arm and guided her inside the haggard apartment building.

"Senator Barbara's daughter Valerie was found dead this morning," he informed her as she set her kit down and pulled on her latex gloves.

"Wrong kind of neighbourhood for this type of girl, Mac," Stella remarked before turning her gaze to the second dead body lying next to her.

"Who's the guy?" she asked, raising to her feet and standing alongside Mac.

"That would be the owner of the apartment, he attacked Carmen with a gun and Adam was forced to shoot him." Mac informed her pulling on his own latex gloves.

Stella raised her eyebrows looking shocked.

"They're ok, Adam's a little shaken." Mac answered her unspoken question.

Stella bowed her head, feeling pity rush through her before focusing her mind on the job.

"So this is high profile right?" Stella asked her eyes taking in everything around her.

"There's pressure from the Mayor's office to get this solved, apparently Senator Barbara is a good friend of the Mayor's and it raises a lot of questions, why this girl was in this neighbourhood and so on," Mac stated.

"Well, let's see what we can find," Stella uttered before flicking open her kit and getting to work.

----------------------------------

"How's he doing?" Flack asked in a low tone as Cory glanced up from the book she was reading out loud to Danny.

Cory had never seen Don look as forlorn as she did when he stepped into the room today. Cory knew that Danny meant the world to Flack; they'd been close for years now. Cory could see the concern wearing on Don as he leaned against the wall, his eyes analysing his friend intently.

"The good news is he's breathing on his own now," Cory said, closing the book on her lap and putting it on the table next to Danny's bed.

She stood up and moved to pour herself a glass of water.

"Do they know when he's going to wake up?" Flack's eyes met Cory's and she knew she couldn't lie.

All the emotions she'd been holding back over the last few days pushed to the surface as she uttered the next few words.

"It's not looking good," she choked as she stared at Danny's sleeping form. Tears started to spill over as she set the water down and clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs. All the pain and fear washed over her and she couldn't control it anymore.

Flack moved towards her quickly. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling Cory's shaking frame against him as she clutched his shirt in her balled fists as she cried into his chest. 

The hopelessness was evident as he felt the pit of despair that was eating up Cory begin to weigh on him. Flack closed his eyes, clenching them shut as he held her to him, trying to stop himself breaking down along with her. Flack clenched his jaw as he felt tears leaving hot wet trails down his own cheeks. His own breathing ragged as he tried to hold back. Cory's arms hugged him closer as they tried desperately to sooth each other.

They stood there for a long time, wrapped up it the comfort of their friendship until Cory broke away from Flack, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. Flack bowed his head and turned away so she couldn't see his face. Cory rubbed his back gently.

"He'll make it Don, we just have to have faith," she whispered.

Cory heard Flack sniff before he looked down at his hands nodding. He swallowed hard before he spoke.

"Yeah, I know," he murmured before looking back at his friend lying in the bed.

-------------------------------------

Gus ran her brush through her blond hair before chucking it into her overnight bag. She tugged on the jacket before slipping her feet into the comfortable sneakers. She looked up at the gentle rapping on her door.

"I can't wait another second to get out of this place Blue Eyes," Gus grinned, zipping her bag shut before raising her head to see Flack's face.

She stopped dead and frowned.

"Flack?" she said softly taking in his red rimmed eyes and the expression on his face.

"I'm fine Sunshine, don't worry about it," he said abruptly. 

Gus knew this was Flack's way of not wanting to talk, she also knew that this was something to do with Danny.

"Ok, well let's get going then. I'm seriously about this place, it gives me the creeps," she informed him honestly. 

Flack gave her a watery smile holding the door open for her to step through.

"Hey, is there any chance of seeing Taylor before we leave? I kinda wanna say thanks," Gus said looking down at her hands.

Flack rested his hand on her shoulder gently.

"Matt's already taken her home, don't worry you'll get to see her tomorrow," he told her as they strode through the hospital and paused by reception for Gus to sign the release forms.

"Why? What's tomorrow?" Gus asked distracted as she took the pen off the nurse and began to sign the sheets of paper.

"Tomorrow is apparently girl night at our place, you guys get to get together and catch up and discuss Taylor's wedding plans," Flack told her as she handed the pen back to the nurse.

"Carmen's not cooking is she? Because, no offence or anything…" Flack cut her off with a dry chuckle.

"She's getting take out so there will be no cases of food poisoning." 

Gus glanced at Flack sidelong; she'd never seen him look so down. She linked his arm.

"Come on I'm taking you for pancakes," Gus muttered dragging Flack in the direction of the exit, getting the first smile of the day.

---------------------------------

Mac and Stella walked together into the cold clinical morgue discussing the details of the case.

"Hey Sid. What have you got for us?" Stella asked cheerfully. 

Sid looked at Stella over his glasses before taking them off and moving to stand in between the two victims.

"It appears that the Senator's daughter and this guy had something in common," Sid told Mac and Stella. 

He handed the file he was holding to Mac who showed Stella immediately.

"They were both on Meth," Mac stated.

"They were both short term users too; they hadn't been doing this long. A few months at least, but less than six for the girl, the guy had been on it longer." Sid informed the other two CSI's. 

"I wonder if the Senator saw any changes in her daughter's behaviour," Mac asked Stella before Sid continued.

"Also these two were lovers; they had intercourse with each other recently," Sid informed them.

"The real story of uptown girl?" Stella thought out loud. 

"The girl was killed execution style shot. She was on her knees; the bullet went straight into her brain. The poor kid didn't stand a chance." Mac nodded before taking the samples from Sid. 

"So it was a professional." Stella mused.

"There was trace under their fingernails, but I've sent it to the lab. Clothes and finger prints are already waiting for you to process," Sid finished.

"Okay, so far we've determined that these two were in a relationship; she was probably going to him to get her Meth. On top of that we have the first vic shot execution style by what looks like a professional. We need to dig into the background a bit more," Stella said thoughtfully as they walked out of the morgue.

Mac looked at the file hand before speaking.

"Looks like we're going to have to do a little digging to get to the bottom of this."

Stella caught sight of Mac in the corridor and fell into step along side him.

"Hey Mac, I ran the male that Adam shot through AFIS and got a name and a rap sheet. His name's Gavin Mathews." Stella said holding the file in her hand.

"He's got some underworld connections to the Corleone family. It's flagged by the FBI." Stella pondered, thoughtfully.

"Flack and Cory are currently putting together a case against Lucinda Garvey, the head of the family. It may be best to get Cory in here and see if she can tell us anything about Gavin Mathews." Mac offered.

"You think that's a good idea?" Stella asked curiously.

"We need that information and I think a little time away from Danny's bedside may do her good." Mac countered Stella's argument with a smile.

"Well you're the one that's going to be doing the calling." Stella shot back, crossing her arms overt her chest as she walked.

"You going to that thing at Carmen's tomorrow?" Mac's pace became slower as he spoke to Stella.

"The girly takeout thing? Yea we haven't had one for ages and I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone and discussing Taylor's wedding plans." Stella told him, drawing to a halt and hugging the folder to her chest.

"What about you, what are you up to tomorrow night?" Stella asked quizzically.

"Guess whose looking after Thomas." Mac stated as they both slipped into the break room.

"Ahh you get to be the babysitter." Stella remarked with a smirk.

"As you so aptly put it. I was wondering do you want to come over after you've finished up at Carmen's. You don't have to I just wondered…" Mac tailed off as he distracted himself by making coffee.

"I don't see a problem with that." Stella smiled before sidling up next to him.

"How about I make the coffee and you phone Cory?" Stella asked, edging him towards the table.

Mac nodded before taking his phone out of his pocket and dialling Cory.

_**Woot! new chapter, I can't believe how fast all those reviews came last night. Thanks to all you guys! Also thanks to my wonderful beta!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol because he's so damn huggable. I always just want to hug Adam! Lol it's defiantly out of love, and its char building and he needs it. Poor Rookie but he deserved it and there is not a chance in hell Carmen is ever going to get on with Gerrard, she won't let herself be bullied by him._

_Bluehavan4220: I'm feeling a lot better, lol I can't use my coconut shower gel at the moment because I drank too much Malibu and it smells exactly like it. He was pretty much broken in in the last chapter. The guys completely unrelated to her._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol that wasn't even an intended pun. Lol I'll be very grateful of you meet me and bake me something, I am a fine lover of food. Lol Poor Adam but seriously, I couldn't have done it any other way. I thought the reaction was very Adam, esp in regards to his char and back ground._

_Laplandgurl: We'll be seeing a lot more of Adam, since he's in the field now and taking more of a centre stage role. Thank you, your words mean a great deal to me!_

_Katydid13: lol I agree poor Adam, thrown in the deep end on his first day! Me too, although someone did have a fit once in my work._

_Sparkycsi: lol how sunburnt did you get! I only changed what you advised. I'm glad this one hits people!_


	84. Chapter 84: Damage Control

Chapter Eighty Three

Chapter Eighty Four

_To everything, turn, turn, turn._

_There is a season, turn, turn, turn._

_And a time to every purpose under heaven._

_A time to build up, a time to break down._

_A time to dance, a time to mourn._

_A time to cast away stones._

_A time to gather stones together._

_The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!_

Cory was sitting in a companionable with Papa Messer when the room phone rang. She quickly grabbed it, knowing that she had told everyone to just ring the room since her couldn't keep her cell phone on. "Hello," she said softly.

"_Cory, its Mac. I need you to come to the lab. I've got a pretty high profile case going on and it's linking back to Garvey."_

Cory shook her head, not wanting to leave Danny's bedside. "I don't know, Mac. I really don't want to leave Danny."

"_Cory. You need to give yourself some space. Have you even left the hospital since you got there?"_ Mac asked, sounding paternal.

Cory flinched at his tone, feeling just like she was being scolded. "No."

"_You need to get away for a bit. I know that it's hard for you, but if you don't take care of yourself, you'll be of no use to him when he does wake up."_

Cory grimaced, clearly torn and enduring the look she was receiving from Papa Messer. "I know, but I have to be here when he wakes up. Can't you get the information from Flack?"

"_He's with Gus right now and I don't want to disturb him."_

"Fine, I'll come down. Will you at least tell me what it's about?"

"_Our DB got a hit in the FBI database. It looks like he was part of the Mob,"_ Mac explained. _"His name is Gavin Mathews. I'd like to know more of what he was into."_

Cory nodded, her mind already switching into work mode. "Okay. I'll have to link to the database when I get there, but I should be able to get you some information. Give me a little bit and I'll be there," she promised as she hung up the phone with a sigh.

Papa Messer had been listening into her conversation. "This has to do with Lucie, doesn't it?"

Cory nodded, taking off her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Yeah," she said as she leaned over to her purse to grab her contacts case out of it. "Looks like one of her minions has been killed and they need some information."

Papa Messer looked up, his interest piqued. "Really? Who?"

"Gavin Matthews. Do you know him?"

Papa Messer thought for a moment. "I think he was a runner for her, but I thought that they had a falling out. Something about him dabbling in drugs, which is the one thing that she wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole."

Cory nodded, knowing from her research that what he was saying was true. "Any idea of when they had this falling out?"

"Six months maybe?" He paused before asking the next question. "Do you want me to stay her with Danny? I'll call you if anything changes."

Cory smiled softly. "That would be great. Thank you." She sighed as she walked to the bathroom—they had finally moved Danny to a private room—to freshen up and put her contacts in before leaving.

Papa Messer's fingers were laced together as he watched his son's chest rise up and down. He hadn't spent enough time with Danny when he was growing up, the rage he felt when Danny joined the academy was rivalled only with that of when Lucie left. Yet over the years the anger had began to fade away, as he watched his son develop into an adult, he began to find himself filled with an immense sense of pride as his son overcame one trial and tribulation after another by himself.

When Cory had come along and left again, Papa Messer had felt his son's pain, watching the woman he loved walk away was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. Watching Danny have to do the same was ten times more painful. He wished he'd been there for his son during moments like that.

When Cory had returned, Papa Messer could see the way Danny's face lit up. He loved her dearly. Over the days he's spent with Cory, visiting Danny as he slept peacefully, he found himself liking the FBI agent more and more. She was the prefect match for his son. He admired her devotion and dedication to his son; it spoke volumes about her feelings towards him.

Danny was also part of the reason he was helping Detective Flack develop a case against his ex wife. Lucinda was making powerful enemies in and out of her organization; it wouldn't be the first time that Danny and Louie had gotten caught up in Lucinda's dealings. He shivered thanking about the body they'd both buried together, last time someone had tried to hurt their sons.

The door behind him opened as he reached out taking his son's hand.

"Reggie?" a voice from his past whispered.

He turned to see her standing there, in the doorway closing the door behind her.

"Lucie, what are you doing here? You could get him killed!" Papa Messer hissed, rising to his feet.

"I had to see him, he's my son," she returned, her eyes taking in the wires that ran in and out of her son. 

Papa Messer sighed as he watched her sit down in the chair Cory usually occupied.

"How's he doing?" she asked quietly, taking Danny's other hand gently in hers.

"He's in a coma, they're not sure if he'll come out of it," Papa Messer told her openly.

"Look Lucie, you need to be careful. His girlfriend is one of the top FBI Agents for the Special Gangs unit, and she'll be back any minute," Papa Messer persisted.

Lucinda waved a hand dismissively.

"I've been dodging Detective Flack for the past two months; they've got nothing n me."

"Lucie, you're in danger. One of your runner's has been found dead and Cory's there right now giving them information about your gang," Papa Messer tried again. He didn't want to tell her the info he had but he had to for the sake of their son.

"Who?" she asked looking affronted.

"Gavin Mathews was shot dead this morning. His girlfriend was killed execution style. She was a Senator's daughter; it's all over the news," Papa Messer snapped.

"He was probably killed by his dealer," Lucie muttered, turning her attention back to Danny, smoothing the hair from his head.

"Lucie," Papa Messer stated firmly. "Your own gang is turning against you; someone up high ordered that hit. There's talk about getting rid of you. You're ruthless and they see you as a liability. You've been on the radar for months now, and if Cory Reid is getting involved, then you better well hope that you've swept every dirty little secret under the carpet, because once she gets her teeth into something she won't let go," Papa Messer informed her.

Lucie was staring at him now incredulously.

"You've been keeping tabs on me?" she exclaimed.

"Only for the sake of our children, Lucie. What you're doing right now is going to get our sons killed and they see enough danger in their lives as it is. I'm giving you this one for free, after this I won't be helping you anymore. They're planning a mutiny against you. Watch your back and stay as far away from our children as you can because if any harm comes to either of them, I'll see that you end up in the same place that other body did, you understand?" There was a fury in his eyes that could not be dismissed.

The cold, ruthless tone of his vice told her that he was telling the truth and when it came down to it, Gavin Mathew's death was too close to her to really be seen as a coincidence. She had to check it out; it was possible that Reggie could be wrong. But he heard things she didn't, he had access to things she did not, and if he was warning her the sake of her children, the likeliness was that it was all true.

"I've got to get going," she stated rising to her feet. 

Papa Messer stood up, their gazes locked as Papa Messer reached out his hands resting on either side on her arms, as he looked into her eyes, the old spark still glimmering in them.

"Look after yourself, and watch you back Lucie," he murmured fiercely.

Lucinda reached up, kissing his rumpled cheek.

"You too Reggie, take good care of our son," she replied grimly before slipping out the door like a ghost, leaving Papa Messer to wonder if she'd actually really been there.

When Cory walked into the lab, her thoughts still cantered on Danny. When she finally entered Mac's office, her thoughts automatically changed over to work. She nodded as she waited for Mac to get off the phone.

Mac studied Cory as he finished his call with Gerrard. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, but the sparkle was back in her gaze. After he finally hung up he said, "Thank you for coming down."

Cory smiled. "Come on Mac, we both know that you were just trying to get me out of the hospital. Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed a break until I walked in here. Let's go to AV so I can use the computer."

Mac nodded and followed her out of his office. "Do you know anything about Gavin Mathews?"

Cory bit her lip. "Not a lot, but Papa Messer was with me when you called. He said that Gavin was a runner, but he had a falling out with Garvey over drugs. When he said that, it rang some bells in my head and I think I have something in my files that may give you more information."

By this time, they had made it to the lab, which Mac quickly cleared so it was just the two of them in there so that Cory could log on in peace. Once the database came up, she quickly typed in a series of codes and brought up her private files. "Okay," she muttered to herself. "Where did I see that report?"

Mac settled back and let her work in peace and quickly was rewarded. "Ah-ha! Found it!" she exclaimed as she turned around to smirk at Mac. "Even before Flack got his break with Papa Messer, the FBI already had a team assigned to trying to bring her down. The team has been in place for years. Actually, one of my first assignments as a forensic accountant was to go over all of her income tax records for about a fifteen year period. Unfortunately, they all came back clean."

Mac nodded. "She is a very careful person. So this is a report from that team?" he asked, leaning forward to try to read the screen.

"Not so much a formal report, but more of a transcribed information gathering session. Occasionally, on investigations that have gone on a while, everyone gets together to basically brainstorm. This is one from about a year ago. Several people noticed some dissension happening in the Family. Part of the younger sect wanted to start trafficking drugs, but Garvey is completely against that for some reason. Needless to say, some heads rolled as soon as she found out about it. General unease has been rising in the Family since then."

Mac tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So, maybe Gavin was one of the ones that wanted to push the drugs. Garvey gets wind of it, things go wrong and a Senator's daughter ends up dead."

Cory shook her head. "If she did do this, the hard thing is going to be proving it. She is very smart. She never leads a trail that can lead back to her. Reminds me of Al Capone that way. Hell, the only reason he was caught was for tax evasion!"

Mac nodded, the gears already turning in his head. "I think I can work with that." He decided to change the topic lightly. "Cory, if I can make a suggestion. Go home. Get some sleep in a real bed for a couple of hours. I think it will do you the world of good," he advised.

Cory looked at him, nodded. "I know; I just can't. I am going to go by my place and grab some clothes and maybe a decent meal, but I still don't feel comfortable leaving him for a long period of time." She smiled a little bit. "I'll probably grab my laptop and a couple of new books." She quickly logged off the computer and stood up. "With that, I think I'll go."

Mac nodded as he laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "He's strong, Cory. He'll make it out of this."

"Thanks, Mac," Cory said softly as she walked out of the lab.

_**Howdy. Happy Easter people and of course thank you Sparkycsi for co-writing this chapter.**_

_Katydid13: lol I can not possibly say, you're going to have to wait and see what happens._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol I'd love you to cook for me! There's defiantly an opening for Adam's dad, maybe at some point but not right now there's far too much going on with Garvey. I'd love to explore that relationship between Adam and his dad._

_Sparkycsi: I loved writing the break down and at least your sun burns faded! But sad about the lack of green beer. Thanks for betaing and co-writing._

_Maddy Bellows: I wanted to show what's happening with everyone at the moment. I break in the action is good for the soul._

_Bluehavan4220: lol well you got your wish here's the next chapter._

_Browneyedgirl75: The show does need a hell of a lot more Adam he rocks! He's adorable and cuddley._

_Sanghian: Hope you feeling better. Lol you're going to have to wait and see what will happen._

_Axellia: You finally caught up! Lol don't worry about the Miracle story! Lol they're trying to work out the right time to tell Danny. Lol we are devilishly harsh to our chars, wait until you see the new story What If's. lol weddings seem to make everyone happy! Lol I wanna hug them all, asnd you'll have to wait and see._


	85. Chapter 85: Against All Odds

Chapter Eighty Five

Chapter Eighty Five

_Now I know how it feels to be all alone  
Who holds my hand when everyone's gone?  
I'm crying out loud when I walk through the rain  
I can't wait to see you in heaven again..._

_3 Feet Smaller – Angel Star_

"Weeeeee!" came Thomas's cry of joy as I lifted him above my head for a few seconds and then right him back down.

"Again!" he called as I repeated the motion, grinning at the contentment on his little face.

"You like that don't you little man," I said bringing Thomas close to my chest, and kissing his forehead.

I cradled him in my arms and swayed from side to side gently. I turned to face the door as it opened behind me, smiling as Don slipped through. It was the look on his face that made all the happiness ebb from my body.

"Don?" I questioned setting Thomas down on the floor.

Thomas stumbled towards his father, Flack reached down wearily, picking up his son and hugging him close. I watched as he held Thomas against him closing his eyes. Something was wrong I could see it, but I waited for him to return Thomas back down to the ground before I reacted. Thomas moved towards his building blocks whilst Don sat down on the couch, looking completely forlorn.

I dropped down next to him my hands between my knees, studying him.

"What's happened?" Don was staring at nothing as he shook his head, his mouth tightly shut.

I reached out taking his hand, running my fingers over the knuckles. He turned his head towards me; I could see the tears brimming in his beautiful blue eyes. My heart stopped as he simply said one name.

"Danny…" he muttered, his head in his hands.

My heart stopped in my chest as my hands covered my mouth, sickness rising in my stomach.

"No… he can't be…" I stuttered, feeling tears rise in my eyes.

Flack shook his head.

"He's not dead yet."

Relief filled me, I rested my head on Flack's shoulder for a second. It was at that moment I realized he'd been drinking. I could smell the whiskey and the bar smoke on him.

"Thomas, could you go into your room please?" I called out across the room.

Thomas stood up, hands on his hips defiantly.

"Don't wanna," he shouted.

I narrowed my eyes before speaking.

"You'll do as you're told young man," I said sternly.

Thomas pouted before retreating to his room huffing, I rolled my eyes before returning my attention back to Don.

"You've been drinking," I stated dryly.

Flack pulled his hands away from his face and wrapped them around himself.

"I think I'm losing it, Carmen," he murmured, running his hands through his hair.

"I'm trying to stay strong, for everyone but this thing with Danny, it's killing me." His voice cracked as he spoke.

I could feel my heart breaking; I reached out and wrapped my arms around him as he buried his head in my chest. His arms encircled my waist as I held him close soothing his hair. I felt his body shudder against me as the sound of the first sob shook him. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek against his thick dark hair.

"Hey it's ok, Don, really it's gonna be ok," I murmured as the front of my shirt grew wet.

"He's my best friend Carmen; I can't imagine him not being here. He's just started to get his shit together. He's even bought a ring for Cory and now it looks like he won't come out of the coma. It's not fair, not after everything that's happened, he didn't deserve this," Don choked, swallowing hard.

I was stunned by the two revelations he'd just dropped on me.

"What do you mean it doesn't look like he'll come out of it, the doctors were hopeful," I reminded him.

"They said because of the damage, the longer that he is in the coma the less likely he'll come out of it," he cried.

I felt my insides crumble as I tried to take a deep breath to steady myself.

"Does Cory know?" I whispered.

Flack pulled away nodding, wiping at his eyes.

"She's the one that told me," he said in a child-like voice.

I was still holding one of his hands in mine; I stared at it grimly.

"You know there's still a chance, even if it's a small one, there's still a chance he may pull through. They said the same thing abut you after were blown up and you survived. Danny didn't give up on you then and you can't give up on him now," I told Don forcefully.

"It's just hard," he muttered staring at my hands.

"Yeah, it is," I agreed, letting out a sigh.

"Adam told me you almost got shot today," he said suddenly as if just remembering it.

I pulled a face before getting up to make Flack some coffee, my back to him as I spoke.

"Yeah…Adam took him down. I don't think it helped that I tore a new one out of Gerrard either; he was less than amused. Although it was funny because even Mac thought he deserved it," I informed him.

I felt Flack behind me; his arms were around me, his lips at my ear as he whispered.

"You're a very naughty girl, Detective Devine." Flack's hands were on my waist.

I spun around in his arms and thrust his coffee into his surprised hands.

"And you are still drunk. Drink the coffee and then we'll see how up to the challenge you are," I informed him, slipping from between his body and the counter.

"You're a wicked woman," he remarked, sipping his coffee.

I glanced over my shoulder, to see his eyes on my ass.

"And you're always horny when you're drunk," I pointed out.

"That's because I have a hot wife." He shrugged, sliding into a chair that belonged with the kitchen table.

"Nice to see that you've gone from sad to horny in the space of two minutes. I forgot how unpredictable you are when you're drunk," I shot back, turning to face Flack, who as if to prove my statement correct was practically asleep on the table top.

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist to help him up.

"Come on we're getting you to bed," I told him as he leaned against me.

I began to pull him in the direction of the bedroom.

"You know I love you right?" Flack stated as I pushed open the bedroom door and helped get him to the bed.

"Yeah, I know," I said softly, bending down to help him take off his shoes.

Flack surprised me by reaching out and caressing my face gently. His eyes met mine as he gave me a small smile.

"Carmen, I really mean it; you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't know where I'd be without you," he said sincerely.

I felt myself beginning to grin as I helped him get out of his suit jacket and shirt. I let him wriggle off his trousers before pulling back the quilt so he could climb into bed. Flack crawled inside and curled up around me as I sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair.

"You're my rock you know?" he muttered, his eyes already closed.

"I know."

Cory sat back in her chair after Flack left, feeling completely horrible for having to break the news to him. Hell, she was so numb after talking to the doctors that she still hadn't processed the thought of Danny never waking up.

Her mind thought back to the conversation, fragments coming back to haunt her. _"The longer that he's in the coma, the less chance he has of waking up…Permanent vegetative state…Even if he wakes up, there is a real chance that there will be severe brain damage on top of the damage to his back…May never function normally again…"_ Tears tracked unchecked down her face as the hope that she had been clinging to disappeared. She sniffed, trying to suppress her sobs as she brought her knees up to her chest, laying her forehead on them.

Finally, she got her crying under control and looked at the man she loved more than life itself. "No," she said aloud. "I don't believe the doctors, _chere,_ and neither should you." Her voice was firm as she spoke. "I don't give a damn what the doctors say. You're going to be fine! You are going to wake up and I'm going to look into your beautiful eyes and tell you that I love you," she said, trying to put every ounce of faith she had in that statement. "I'm _not_ going to lose the man I love again!"

She stood up, her eyes automatically going to the clock to check the time. Nine p.m. Shaking her head in exhaustion, she moved herself to the fold out chair, which turned into a bed. Within minutes, her head was on the pillow, sleep overtaking her body.

The agitated beeping of the monitors awoke Cory less than four hours later. She had barely gotten to her feet when a team of doctors and nurses ran into the room, pushing the crash cart ahead of them. Her mind screamed frantically, but she was unable to move. Finally, one of the nurses, a young woman who always looked at her in sympathy, pushed her out of the room and closed the curtains, blocking Cory's view of him.

Cory wrapped her arms around herself and began pacing in front of the doorway. Numbly she counted the steps as she walked. One, two, three, four, five, turn. Every time she turned, she looked at the door, hoping to see the curtains open and the machines beeping normally again. _Please God, please save him._

Fifteen minutes passed, her feet were tired, so she sat in the chair directly across from the door, her arms on her knees, staring down at the floor. A few minutes later, she saw the bottom of the green scrubs the doctor was wearing. Fearing the worst, for the nurses had always informed her of his condition thus far, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for the bad news.

"Agent Reid?" the doctor asked gently.

Biting her lip, she nodded as she looked expecting to see the regret etched on his face. Instead, she saw a look of hope. "Doctor?" she questioned.

"I won't prolong this. Detective Messer is awake," he told her with a huge smile.

Cory felt her eyes open wide in shock as she jumped to her feet. "What! Um…" she trailed off.

The doctor nodded. "It's true. Against all odds he has woken up and he's asking for you."

"Can I--" she began, not knowing if she could enter the room yet.

"Go right ahead."

Overwhelmed with relief, Cory rushed past the doctor and into the room. Danny was looking around groggily, but his eyes focused on her as soon as she entered. "Oh, God, Danny!" Cory exclaimed as she flung herself into her usual chair and picked up his hand. She saw him beginning to move his mouth and stopped him. "Wait. I have to tell you something." He looked at her, his eyes becoming more focused. "I love you, Danny. I love you with all my heart and sitting here at your bedside for the past five days made me realize that I've wasted a hell of a lotta time with my pride."

Danny smiled weakly as he squeezed her hand. "Love you, too," he rasped out, his voice hoarse with disuse. He studied her carefully, noticing the tears that were slowly leaking out of her eyes. "Whazzmatter?" he muttered.

Cory shook her head, quickly wiping her eyes free of the tears. "Nothing," she responded with a smile. "I'm just happy to have you back to me." She yawned then, noticing that it was almost three a.m. Scooting the chair closer to the bed, she laid her head down next to Danny's and within moments was back asleep, feeling at peace for the first time since he had been stabbed.

_**The chapter you've all been waiting for! Kudos to Sparky for writing Danny's waking up scene! I am also a complete mong, I snapped the handle off the toilet this morning, thank god we have another bathroom! It could only happen to me.**_

_Axellia: lol I was gonna say that's a rarity in itself. His parents are invisible in the series and they could do so much with them! Lol I wanted it to be Danny because I imagined that his father had all these connections for some reason. Lol His mom scares me! His father is a little weak when it comes to Lucie. I'm not sure when he is going to tell Danny but it's going to stir things up when he does._

_Bluehavan4220: lol you'll get more of it later on! lol she's defiantly the woman I love to hate because she's so ambitious!_

_Sparkycsi: l0l I'm going to have them taking about that when she gets arrested, he's going to visit her and then they talk about it and Papa Messer talks to Danny which is why he thinks she may be innocent._

_Katydid13: lol it gets more interesting._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: I may bring his sister in at some point and they talk about the abuse they suffered, we'll have to see! Lol it's always good to try new things._

_Maddy Bellows: lol Lucie and Pm have another one in the not so distant future. Lol it gets better!_

_Laplandgurl: I'm afraid that wasn't my story, which was Sparkycsi's. I do agree Adam needs more screen time! I don'tk now what that song is._


	86. Chapter 86: Wake Up Call

Chapter Eighty Six

_We are all the same  
Human in all our ways and all our pains  
There's a love that could fall down like rain  
Let forgiveness wash away the pain  
And no one really knows what they are searching for  
This world is crying for so much more_

We believe  
In this love

_Good Charlotte – We Believe_

"Wake up Flack!!" I yelled the next morning shaking him for the third time.

Flack hardly moved under my onslaught, he just lay there snoring peacefully. On the other side of the bed Thomas was jumping up and down screeching the word "Da" over and over again. Flack always slept heavy after he'd been drinking, so I did the only thing I could think of that would wake him up.

When you're a cop you learn to catch as much sleep as possible because you didn't know when the next chance you get was going to be. Even if you were dead to the world there was always going to be one thing that you trained yourself to wake up instantaneously for. Your cell phone.

Thomas was still bouncing on the bed screaming when I grabbed him and set him under my arm. He was giggling still as I picked up my own cell phone and hit speed dial one, watching Flack from the doorway, trying not to smirk.

Flack, with sleepy eyes and tousled hair bolted upright snatching up the cell phone and flipping it open.

"Flack," he barked sleepily.

"10-13!" I shrieked down the phone.

Flack yanked back the quilt and threw himself out of the bed pulling on his trousers.

"I'm there, give me the address!" Flack returned down the phone, grabbing a shirt off the top of the ironing pile.

I couldn't help it I burst out laughing. Flack stared at his phone disgruntled. Thomas was clapping his hands together at the sound of my giggling. Flack looked up to see me, standing in the doorway, arm wrapped around our son's waist as I balanced him on my hip.

Flack stared at me blinking momentarily, eyes darting from the cell phone in my hand to his own cell phone and back again.

"Did you…" Flack trailed off still having trouble understanding what the hell was going on.

"I did. I've been trying to wake you up for the past twenty minutes. Cory called, Danny's awake," I told him seriously, jiggling Thomas about under my arm.

Flack dropped down on the bed stunned.

"Wow," he muttered.

I moved towards him and sat next to him cradling Thomas on my lap, I studied Don's surprised features as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I just…I don't think I expected him to wake up," he confessed.

"Apparently, neither did the doctors." I informed him, turning Thomas around on my lap to face me because he was wriggling.

Thomas grabbed onto my shoulders, pulling himself up to stand on my knees. His little hands grasped at my hair.

"Can we go see him? Is there any long term damage?" Flack asked in wonderment, as I held Thomas at arms length to stop him pulling my hair.

"Cory said they were testing for brain damage this morning and he seems to have fully functional activity," I said softly, giving Thomas a pointed look as he started to grumble. "As for seeing him, if you hurry up and get dressed we can catch visiting hours."

"Here let me take him for a second," Flack said reaching out to take Thomas from my hands as he pouted.

"You can so tell you're the fun parent," I said, rising to my feet to tie my hair back into a messy bun.

Flack shrugged, his eyes still on me as he brushed Thomas's hair away from his forehead.

"I'm sorry I came home wasted last night. I just…I'd had enough you know?" he muttered, kissing Thomas's forehead as Thomas reached for Flack's collar.

"You don't have to explain any thing to me. I know what it's like," I reminded him, eyes on him as I fixed my hair in the mirror.

"I appreciate it," he said standing up, and holding Thomas close to his chest and rocking him.

"I know you do," I told him, smiling before turning to face him. "Now get changed and I'll grab some things to entertain Thomas with while we're on the way to the hospital."

Flack nodded with a small smile crossing his lips before beginning to do up the buttons on his shirt.

* * *

Mac was pacing down the corridor quickly, his eyes fixed on the report in front of him. The case had just cracked wide open for them, it almost seemed too easy. Hearing the sound of clicking heels rushing towards him, he raised his head to see Stella rushing towards him.

"Mac I've got fantastic news," Stella said breathlessly.

"Not as good as mine," he said waving the report as he spoke.

They were literally standing next to each other now.

"Ballistics came back on the bullet in the female vic we found, it was involved in another crime ten years ago," Stella told Mac as they strode towards his office.

"Lucinda Garvey shot a man at point blank range with this gun in self defence. The striations match the bullet she put in Nicolas Barzini ten years ago when he attacked her," Stella recounted excitedly.

Mac held up his report frowning.

"We got a DNA match off the hair we found at the crime scene it matches back to Lucinda Garvey," he stated.

"Wow…this is big," Stella murmured shaking her head.

"We need to get hold of Flack and Cory and get a warrant to search Lucinda Garvey's place, if we find the weapon we as good as have her," Mac said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You make those calls and I'll get on the warrant," Stella decided, already handing Mac the report and pulling out her phone call to call the judge.

Mac flicked open the report studying Stella's analyse before taking out his own cell phone and dialling Flack's number.

* * *

"Hey Messer, nice to see that you've decided to stop lazing around and rejoin the land of the living," Flack called out as we stepped over the threshold into Danny's room.

Danny was sitting up in bed; glasses perched on his nose as if he'd never been in a coma. His face lit up at the sight of Flack. Cory grinned as I followed Flack through the door carrying a squirming Thomas.

"Dan…" Thomas exclaimed practically launching himself out of my arms and at his surrogate Uncle.

I just managed to grab him before he fell.

"Well someone's pleased to see me, aren't they little man." Danny smiled, watching me wrestle with the tiny child in my arms.

"Uncle Danny's not feeling to well at the minute Thomas, so you have to be gentle," I spoke as Cory rose to her feet to take him from my arms and move him a little closer to the bed.

"Boo boo?" Thomas questioned his hand near his mouth as Cory set him on the edge of Danny's bed, positioning herself close by in case she needed to grab him.

Danny held his arms out as Thomas wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a close hug.

Flack was beaming from the other side of Danny, contented to have his best friend back and awake.

"So what's the prognosis?" I asked quietly, stepping next to Cory.

Cory was still grinning at the scene in front of her, before she turned to me.

"He's fully functional. The only problem he has is the stab wound, it damaged a few muscles but the doctor said he'll be out next week, a month or two of rehab and he'll be fully functional in all respects. I'm telling you this feels like a miracle." Cory shook her head in disbelief.

"I take it, he's staying with you?" I said quietly.

"Of course, he still needs to be monitored and he may need a little help at first but otherwise…" she shrugged. "He's doing fine."

Our conversation was cut short by the chiming of Flack's phone. He slipped it out of is pocket before answering it. Thomas was still on the bed sitting constantly against Danny and playing with the edge of his blanket.

As soon as Flack snapped his phone shut I knew it was serious. His eyes met Cory's.

"Mac and Stella have found evidence implicating Lucinda Garvey in the murder of the Senator's daughter; they're requesting a warrant right now. They want us to meet them at the station," Flack stated looking utterly stunned.

Cory got an equally stunned expression on her face. "What? She's not that sloppy!"

Flack shrugged. "Bullet matched a gun she used in self defence ten years ago and they found a hair at the scene."

Cory nodded in stunned silence as her gaze switched back and forth from Danny to Flack. She was clearly torn over whether to stay or go.

Danny looked and saw the undercurrents. "Who's Garvey?" he asked quietly, still holding on to Thomas tightly.

Cory face grew even paler but she responded easily. "Head of the Corleone family. We've been trying to bring her down for a long time, but I just got you back, _chere._"

Danny smirked at her. "_Bella?_ I'm not going anywhere. Go, do your job. Catch the bad guy or bad girl in this sense. I understand."

Cory nodded as she grabbed her purse out from under the bed before leaning over and giving him a small kiss. "All right. I'll be back later," she said softly as she began to follow Flack out the door.

"Bring me some real food!" he yelled after her, causing all of us to giggle as Cory shut the door behind her.

I dropped down into Cory's vacant seat. My hands knitted together feeling nervous despite the fact I had no reason to be. Danny was looking down at Thomas who was trying to bring the bed sheet closer to his mouth. We sat there awkward for a moment as he tugged the sheet out of Thomas hands gently, Thomas grabbed at Danny's hand as Danny dangled it over his head.

"I remember what happened you know," he said quietly, his attention still focused on Thomas.

"I guessed you would," I returned, thinking about what I remembered from my own near death experiences.

"Cory told me what happened afterwards. You killed him." Danny stated hugging Thomas against his body.

"I think it set everyone's mind at rest, he wouldn't have stopped people like that have too much of a grudge to hold onto. He was going to hurt Stella," I said, shaking my head.

Danny's head twisted to face me, his gaze met mine.

"You did the right thing," he uttered. "Cory can sleep better at night knowing that he isn't going to come back to claim me in the night."

"I know…Did she tell you your dad's been visiting?" I asked quietly.

Danny's turned his head back to Thomas who was yawning, curled up against Danny.

"She said he spent a lot of time here. After everything that's happened I can't believe he decided to do this now." Danny's expression showed confusion and he became unsure.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about it," he admitted. "On one hand I'm grateful but on the other…" he shrugged. "Why now?"

I leaned back in the chair watching him sympathetically.

"Sometimes it takes something like this for people to swallow their pride and admit that they were wrong. From what Cory's said it seems like he is genuinely sorry for not being there for you. I think now maybe the time to set aside your differences and try and get your relationship back on track. He does care about you Danny," I murmured thinking about what else Papa Messer was trying to do for Danny.

Danny rubbed one of his hands over his face trying to clear his head for a second.

"Cory tells me that Mac's leaving you in charge of the Crime Lab." He remarked, changing the subject.

I felt a ghost of a smile cross my features.

"It's true and the thought of it scares the crap out of me. It's a lot of responsibility." I pulled a face causing Danny to grin.

"Mac will be ringing you on the hour every hour to make sure the lab's not in a smouldering ruin," he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"If I remember correctly it was him that blew up the lab not me. Besides I think he would have asked you if you weren't stuck in this hell hole," I spoke honestly, my eyes roving around the room.

"Naw, I'd clash with the brass too much. Gerrard would throw a fit if he found out Mac was letting me run wild in the lab." Danny chuckled at the image in his head. "Besides I don't have the patience for all that managerial crap and the politics."

"Cory thinks part of the reason Mac picked me was because I wouldn't let them walk all over me, he wants the lab shielded from Sinclair's interference," I informed him.

Danny raised his eyebrows with an easy going smile.

"Then he's picked the right candidate, hasn't he?" Danny smirked.

My eyes landed on Thomas whose eyes were closed, the raise and fall of his chest gentle and soft.

"I think I better get him home, with all the excitement of you waking up he missed his afternoon nap," I told Danny, climbing to my feet.

Danny watched as I picked up Thomas gently, he moved in his sleep before settling in a more comfortable position in my arms.

"I think Flack will be back later on," I said quietly as not to disturb Thomas.

"Tell him to bring cards; I want to win some money off him," Danny demanded.

"You make him broke and I will kill you," I shot back, managing to open the door.

"Better warn him then, hadn't ya?" Danny winked before waving goodbye.

_**Howdy, I may be on a little hiatus for the next week because I have a scary deadline to do work for, but fear not I shall return. **_

_**In the meantime check out **__bowneyedgirl75's _'Memories of Brooklyn' _**It's a great read and it's funny and sad! **_

_**Also I am shamelessly plugging **_'What If's' _**– a story co written by me and Maddy Bellows. It stars Carmen and Gus, it's the little what if's that would have happened in Devine Intervention if I'd let my muse get away with it.**_

_BowneyedGirl75: I am a shameless plugger! Lol I'd know you didn't copy. Lol I couldn't help it, he's just insane when he's drunk and that makes me laugh like hell. _

_Maddy Bellows: lol fingers crossed they will forgive us. Lol I couldn't cliff hanger for that long otherwise my story couldn't progress. Lol I think Carmen would have been WTF?! If those were sober mood swings._

_Katydid13: lmao! I am not the only one. It did get worse though, yesterday I snapped the handle off the toaster, my housemate said I wasn't allowed to touch stuff, esp not the good bathroom with the working toilet. I think it may be my new super power._

_Laplandgurl: we're all chopping and changing chars all the time so it's no wonder you got confused. I'm sorry you lost your bro, really I am._

_Bluehavan4220: lol high five to alive Danny! It can only get better for them all!_

_Sparkycsi: I figured out the dashes, I have to go back over everything which is annoying as hell. Lol I love them both so much!_

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol maybe you should not read 'What If's' Don is dark and angsty as is Carmen! And It's pretty M rated. I have plans for Danny's mom._

_JoanneF: lol I love the two of them too!! She's my fav Danny pairing. I don't think there will be because I have a lot of other stuff going on but who knows with my muse. She's constantly surprising me._


	87. Chapter 87: Underground

Chapter Eighty Seven

_High above the serpentine  
I cross below the well-worn lines  
Entangled in a missing memory  
I find an oversight  
I formed this sword that will give rise  
To something the world is here to seize_

_Into the wild  
I'm with a mission_

_30 seconds To Mars – The Mission_

Flack and Cory were packed into Mac's office standing across from him and Stella's they talked through the latest details.

"So you've already managed to secure the warrant?" Cory confirmed, looking pointedly at the two of them, arms crossed over her chest.

"We were waiting for you two so we could execute it, you feel like raiding Garvey's apartment?" Stella beamed.

"Hell yeah," Flack replied.

The smile on his face was a lot more cheerful than it had been in a long time; things were finally beginning to look up. He trusted the CSI's and their evidence and he was happy that things were starting to get better instead of work.

"It just seems a little careless of her don't you think?" Cory asked thoughtfully.

Flack shrugged, unwilling to let the joy that came with finally getting a lead ebb away.

"Maybe the pressure's getting to her, she's getting careless," Flack reasoned.

"The evidence is solid Cory, we've gone over it again and again, this all leads back to Garvey, there's no doubt about it," Mac told her, his eyes fixing on hers.

She believed him, she knew how thorough the CSI's were, but it just seemed too good to be true.

"Right we want to do this properly and by the book. I want you all to don vests just in case and make sure your weapons are working properly. We have no idea how dangerous Garvey could be when she's cornered," Mac warned them rising to his feet.

Flack glanced at Cory a wide smile breaking across his face.

"I am going to enjoy this."

--

The four of them were standing on either side of the door that led to Garvey's apartment. Weapons were un-holstered and bullet proof vests strapped on. They weren't going to be taking any chances.

Flack rapped his knuckles on the door, before listening for any sign of noise from the inside. He heard nothing. He knocked again before calling through the door.

"Lucinda Garvey! Open up, NYPD!" he hollered.

There was no response from inside. Flack's gaze flickered to Cory on the opposite side of the door. She nodded her consent.

"Kick it."

Flack stationed himself in front of the door booting it open before following Cory inside the apartment, gun pointed at anything that moved. Mac and Stella followed up behind, each taking a room, shouting clear as they searched.

"She's not here," Cory stated, holstering her gun as they met back in the living room before beginning the search.

"Found a gun, it's a 38." Stella called out as she pulled open the top drawer of the night stand.

Mac held open the bag for her as she lowered it in carefully.

"Looks like its been fired recently." Mac murmured before sealing the bag shut and scrawling his initials.

Stella was already throwing open the doors to the huge walk in closet.

"There's items several things missing here," Stella said pointing at the gaps in the cellophane wrapped clothing, and in the shoe rack.

"Looks like she was in a hurry," Mac remarked checking the drawers in the dresser.

"You think she knew we were coming?" Flack asked as him and Cory entered the room.

"I think she suspected something was amiss," Cory responded, her eyes darting around the room taking in everything.

"There's toiletries missing from the bathroom and it looks like there's a few things missing from the book shelf," Stella pointed out.

Flack shook his head.

"Even when she's running she's cool and collected, who thinks to take books if you're doing a runner?" he pointed out.

"Someone who thinks that they're going to have time on her hands," Mac commented, studying the jewelry box with great interest. "She barely touched anything in here."

"Which means wherever she is going, she's doesn't think she's going to be strapped for cash, some of the things in that look like they cost more than my apartment building," Flack said staring at some of the glittering objects.

"You'd be right about that," Mac stated, holding up a diamond clad choker, before placing it in an evidence bag.

"I think it's safe to assume she's gone underground which makes our chances of finding her practically nil." Flack growled, clearly frustrated.

"Not necessarily," Cory drawled, looking deep in thought.

Flack raised an eyebrow.

"You got something in mind??" he asked cautious to get his hopes up again.

"It may take a few days but I think I may have a lead," Cory stated, the cogs in her mind already turning. "I'll need to grab my laptop, I'll see if I can track her accounts, it's obvious she doesn't have any hard cash on her, which means she must have money tucked away somewhere. It's just a case of finding it."

Mac looked up as he scanned underneath the dresser for any fallen items.

"If you get on that, we'll get this evidence back to the lab and see what we can find." He muttered, before resuming his quest for evidence.

--

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late I brought dessert." Taylor panted as she hurried through the door, shoving the homemade apple pie into my hands as she took off her jacket and flung it over the back of the chair.

I glanced down at it suspiciously before tilting my head at her.

"Did you make it?" I asked uncertain.

Taylor gave me a scrunched up her face in a "what do you think?" look.

"Just checking." I smiled, before drawing her into a one arms hug, the pie in between us awkwardly.

"I missed seeing you at the lab; you know how hard our cases have been without you and the ghosts for help," I teased half serious.

Taylor pulled away grinning.

"Where would you be without your resident ghost whisperer?" she joked.

"Gus is in the living room, Cory and Stella are stuck working a case at the minute. I think Stella may make it, but I think Cory wants to go back to the hospital to keep Danny company. And I've ordered pizza," I informed her as she trailed after me as we stepped into the living room.

I put the pie down on the kitchen table. Gus looked up from the magazine she was reading sand gave us both warm smiles.

"Nice rock," she exclaimed catching a glimpse at the engagement ring that I hadn't noticed.

Taylor flushed a little before taking a seat on the couch.

"Thanks, Matt wanted to make it official," she said, sticking her hand out for us both to see.

"It's beautiful." I agreed. "So have you decided on a date?"

"I was thinking August. I want a nice summer wedding, we were thinking outdoors," Taylor told me, with a smile on her face.

"You have ideas where, I mean parks, hotels…" I trailed off.

"We were about having the reception in a hotel, so it would make sense to have the wedding in the gardens. I've found a gorgeous one; they've given us eleven am on the twenty fourth."

I found myself beaming; I knew Gus was the same next to me. Taylor took out a note pad and pen.

"That's where I falter though; I've never planned a wedding so I need help," Taylor said tapping her pen against the pad.

"What about a guest list and a wedding party you need to think of those. Plus dresses and what not. Is Matt going to be wearing a tuxedo or dress blues?" Gus asked leaning on her hands.

"I think he's going for a tux, he said his dress blues are too stifling," Taylor informed us as she scribbled down Gus's words.

"They are a bit." I reflected on my own wedding for a second. "Have you got the menu's from the hotel for the reception, I mean are you going to have a sit down meal or a banquet?"

"Matt said he was going to pick up the menus on the way back from work today, we're not sure yet to what we're picking in regards to that but I think banquet may be better," Taylor said thoughtfully.

"What else?" I pondered.

"Invites, Stella has that great contact," I remembered.

"Flowers and a color scheme for the decorations, if you're having an outdoor wedding they'll ask you about an archway. Usually they go on about balloons but I'm sure you can get one of those flowered ones. I think it would look pretty blooming in summer," Gus remarked thoughtfully.

Taylor scribbled this down before raising her head.

"Have you thought about our dresses?" I asked.

Taylor was staring at the list in front of her.

"With all this stuff and the research I've been doing, it is going to be the last thing on my mind," Taylor said looking slightly stricken.

I reached out and patted her arm gently.

"Trust me it's not as scary as it seems; saying that you'd better asking Flack and Stella about some of the things they pulled for our wedding, I have no idea how they got any of that done," I remembered shaking my head.

Taylor nodded her response, with a small smile as the doorbell went.

"I've got a lot of work in front of me." She sighed as the doorbell went for pizza.

I stood up grabbing my purse and moving towards the door as I spoke.

"But at least you've got us to help."

_**Hey Peeps!! A nice little update for you. I finished and handed in my dissertation! SO I'm a little more free to write! Woot. I'm celebrating by updating all three stories. Plugging **__'What If's' __**The darker side of Devine Intervention and sipping from a glass of Malibu and coke! **_

_**I also went shopping and bought the most fab dress ever!**_

_Browneyedgirl75: Glad you liked it! It's the first time I've updated on this is ages it seems lol._

_Bluehavan4220: lol you'll get to see her in charge of the lab soon, but not too soon, I have a lot cooked up for her and the others before hand. Lol I couldn't help it I think it would be hilarious to do that to him._

_Katydid13: lol we have a bit more fluff until things get serious again._

_Maddy Bellows: lol high five to me for finishing the scary deadline though it nearly killed me! Lol things are moving on the LG case at least for the moment! Lol there's a nice fluffy chapter before everything takes off again._

_Bad2wolf2mcgee: lol feel free to avoid it lol, it's a good little story. I get what you mean though, no point in wondering what may have been._

_Sparkycsi: I am a shameless plugger! We need to do GH so I can plug! Lol I could see her so dong it, the 10-13 is Officer in need of Assistance, so she really is being mean._

_Laplandgurl: lol loads of trouble, in and out the lab; it's just one thing after another until she gets to hand things back to Mac._


	88. Chapter 88: Plans & Pizza

Chapter Eighty Eight

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.  
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
Cause you can see it when I look at you._

_Micheal Buble – Everything_

The station house was crowded as I fought my way through burly detectives, all staring hungrily at the box I held in front of me, licking their lips. I rolled my eyes as the room filled with the aroma of freshly baked pizza.

Flack's head darted up as the scent made it to his nostrils, his eyes fell on me, a huge smile lighting up his face. He was on his feet in seconds moving towards me and taking the box from my hands, setting it on his desk before pulling me into a heartfelt embrace.

"I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but I hope to God I stay in his good graces, especially when your bringing me fresh pizza," Flack whispered in my ear, before his lips brushed my forehead.

"Devine, I would marry you in a second if you brought me Luigi's," one of the older homicide detectives declared with a playful smile.

Flack chuckled as he flipped open the pizza box and took out a slice savouring the scent before taking a bite. I settled leaning against the desk next to Don folding my arms over my chest.

"Sorry Harper, this lug got me first, but if things go south you'll be the first one I call," I replied with a wink.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna let you go after this," Flack snorted between bites of pizza.

"I thought you had that thing tonight with the girl's," he remarked as he dug around for another slice of pizza.

"Stella's still working, Matt got home early so Taylor wanted to go through some of the wedding stuff with him and Gus had a date tonight," I finished.

I tilted away from Flack as he almost spat his pizza back out at my last words.

"Broussard has a date?!" Flack exclaimed, turning to me mouth open.

I slapped his arm offended.

"She's a beautiful young woman; it's about time she got back into the dating game," I retorted.

"I know, I'm just surprised she's actually letting a guy date her. Who is he anyway?" I rolled my eyes at Flack's interrogation.

It was well known that he was fiercely protective over Gus. From what I could tell there were a lot of things in her past that would have put most women off men for life.

"One of the doctors at the hospital got her number and called her up this afternoon asking if she was free for dinner tonight, hence why she hasn't told you yet," I told him.

Flack narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Did she say what he looked like?"

I shrugged.

"Blond, green eyes, hot looking." I replied.

"Doctor Feelgood," Flack murmured in memory as if this guy was his arch-nemesis.

"What?"

Flack turned his gaze on me.

"Whenever I went the hospital, there was always this doctor hanging around and chatting up the nurses, me and Matt nicknamed him Doctor Feelgood, because he was always really touchy feely," Flack informed me. "I thought I saw a wedding ring…"

I stared at him open mouthed as his eyes slipped to the computer.

"You are not running him through the system; it could be a completely different guy," I reminded him.

Don's gaze was still on the computer as he chewed his pizza sulkily.

"I mean it Don, she's a big girl and she will not appreciate you digging into her personal life like that."

"But it's for her own good," Don whined, pouting.

I took his face in both my hands and gave him my firmest stare.

"No it's not, it's a bad, bad thing to do and you know it," I said pointedly.

Flack sighed as I pulled away, picking up another piece of pizza.

"So how'd your raid go? You get Garvey?" I asked in hushed tone.

Flack shook his head; I could tell he was disappointed.

"Looks like she already guessed we were coming, we did find some evidence putting her in the picture for it, but Mac and Stella have to analyse it before we can put out an arrest warrant." Flack informed me. "I sent Cory home; she thinks she knows another way to figure out where she is so I'm waiting on them both to get back to me. On top of that I have this mountain," he indicated to the stack of files on the edge of his desk.

I touched his arm gently. He raised his gaze to meet mine with a small smile.

"You'll get her."

A determined expression crossed his face as he nodded.

"You can bet on it.

* * *

Taylor let out a small exasperated shriek, throwing her hands up in the air glaring at the hundreds of papers surrounding her on the floor. She was sitting against the couch, the lap top on her lap, various bits of wedding paraphernalia stacked around her.

Matt flicked the television onto mute before he frowned at the sight in front of him.

"Tay?" he questioned cautiously, slipping off the couch into a sitting position next to her.

He pulled the papers from underneath him before brushing her long jet black hair behind her ear in order to catch a glimpse of her panicked expression.

"I had no idea about all the stuff you have to do to plan a freaking wedding, look at these, colour charts, seating plans and I'm not sure what half the things are on some of these menus…" she ranted shoving a stack of papers at him.

Matt took the leaflets from her hands and set them back on the floor, his hand trailing up and down her bare arm gently in attempt to sooth her.

"Good thing Carmen and Flack gave you that list…" Matt began.

Taylor snorted her eyes fixed on another set of leaflets next to her.

"Can you believe this? Wedding insurance? Who the hell needs wedding insurance? Jeez anything to mark up the cost, what? Are we expecting a hurricane in the middle of August?" Taylor continued.

Matt cleared his throat, causing Taylor's head to twist towards him.

"Flack and Carmen got their first wedding blown up," he tried to point out delicately.

Taylor stared at Matt in utter horror, before her eyes darted back to the leaflets.

"Do you think we're going to need wedding insurance? I mean have you had any threats recently that you haven't been telling me about? Anyone you've taken down got a history of bombs…Crap you used to work in the bomb squad, of course there is…" Taylor was practically hyperventilating mid rant.

Matt put both his hands on either on of her shoulders and turned her body to face him, looking her straight in the eye.

"Everyone is either in jail or dead, so I think our wedding is going to be bomb free, I promise." Matt drew her into his arms, Taylor responded to the embrace by snuggling up against him. "You need to stop worrying, nothing is going to happen at our wedding, it's going to be fine," he murmured stroking her hair.

Taylor pulled away slightly turning her head up to study his face.

"That's what Carmen and Flack thought the first time around and look what happened," Taylor pointed out. "Do you honestly think things will be able to actually go right with the sort of lives we both lead?" she asked him openly.

Matt kissed her forehead gently, before looking down at her.

"Yeah, I really do," he clarified.

"I hope you're listening to this," Taylor stated glaring at the opposite corner of the couch.

Matt pulled away with a knowing grin.

"Maddy?" he asked, resting his cheek on her head.

"It had better be a spirit free day," Taylor growled.

"She's gone now," Taylor murmured before rising to her knees in front of Matt and brushing her lips against his.

* * *

Cory got back to the hospital after making a stop to change clothes and pick up her laptop. She smiled as she saw Danny's eyes light up when she entered the room. "Did you bring me dinner?" he asked, hope gleaming in his eyes.

Cory raised an eyebrow at him. "_Chere?_ I just got back from a raid and you want food?" She watched as his face dropped. "I didn't bring dinner, but I did bring dessert," she said while smirking and pulling a white paper sack from behind her back.

Danny's eyes lit up. "Frankie?" he asked referring to the owner of their favourite Italian restaurant.

Cory nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I stopped by and she gave us some tiramisu. But, you have to eat the hospital dinner first."

Danny pouted, a smile teasing the corners of his lips. "Yes, Mom."

Cory fought down the laughter before replying, "Don't make me send you to your room, young man." Both of the looked at each other and began to laugh. "Sorry. It's been a while since I've been able to laugh."

Danny looked at her; she still looked a little tired and had that gleam in her eye she got whenever something went wrong at work. "Didn't get Garvey, did you?"

Cory shook her head. "No, she had already bailed. But I have a couple of ideas, so I grabbed my laptop from home and I'm going to work for a bit. You okay with that?" she asked as she settled into her chair and pulled the computer out.

Danny reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Of course it's okay. I understand. Now, where is that nurse with my dinner? The sooner I get to eat that, the sooner I get to have my dessert!"

Cory just shook her head as she began to immerse herself into her files; hunting for some kind of money trail that would lead her to Garvey.

_**Okies peeps, dissertation may be over but I still have a lot of work to do before May 6**__**th**__**, so I may be a little slow on the updating. **_

_**Today I'm plugging our very own 'Gotham's Heroes' – written by Myself, Axellia and Sparkycsi. It's under the pen name Spaxaph, you can cut through my fav authors to get to it.**_

_**Also myself and Maddy Bellows are writing a story called "What If's" based on the little lingering what if that's been nagging me, left over from this story.**_

_**So check them both out!**_

_Laplandgurl: Thanks for the congrats, it was hard as hell but I was relieved when I got I handed in! It's basically a 8000 word research essay. Glad you like the story._

_Bluehavan: lol Cory's waiting on it, timeline is crucial at the min that's why they can't find her too soon. Lol More Flack than Carmen, he planned their second wedding. Esp. after she got shot in the chest by the gits who ruined the first! Lol I have no idea about the dresses at the mo, but I do have some wickedly funny ideas for the actual wedding._

_Sparkycsi:lol I loved M, because he was so passionate about Alexis. Garvey is becoming one of my favs though. Lol She's just so illusive at the minute. Lol I purposely checked out the codes and thought that one would be hilarious._

_Katy: lol it's only out the way for now, I have ultimate deadlines by May 6__th__ so we'll see how it goes. You get a little more fluff for now._

_Bad2wolf: lol of course I'm back and I missed it, my housemate said it was good though!_

_Daisyangel: lol Tay's wedding is going to be insane, well at least the lead up is but we have tons of other crazy stuff going on before then. Congrats to your sister!_

_Padfoot: It always makes me fuzzy to see a new reviewer. Howdy and welcome! Lol if you like all of your fav OC's in this story, check out 'Gotham's Heroes' it's under Spaxaph as a pen name. it had Tay, Cory and Carmen all in it!_


	89. Chapter 89: Test Subject

Chapter Eighty Nine

_I found a friend or should I say a foe  
Said there's just a few things you should know  
We don't want you to see we come and we go  
Here today, gone tomorrow_

_The Fray – Trust Me_

Stella was seated across from Mac in his office as he reviewed the case file that had been dropped on his desk literally moments before.

"Are you sure about this Mac? I mean really sure, because is going to cause a lot of damage if your wrong," Stella warned as Mac closed the file and set it in front of him, before clasping his hands together.

Mac's mouth was set in a grim line as his eyes met Stella's.

"I think she's ready for this. I think this case will prove to us how capable she'll be of running the lab while we're in Paris," he confirmed.

Stella sighed, her gaze dropping to the file in her lap.

"I hope you know what you're doing because I can't imagine what the repercussions could be," Stella murmured.

"I have faith in her, after this nobody can say she's not qualified to run the lab," he stated.

Mac's gaze shifted to the glass window in front of him as he watched his employees hurrying around, lap coats flapping as they moved from place to place trying to close their files as quickly as they were getting them. His eyes fell on the red head darting out of the Trace Lab, a laughing Adam following her, wielding envelops of evidence to be catalogued and stored. He knew he'd made the right choice promoting Adam.

"So what are your findings from the Senator's daughter's case?" Mac asked focusing back on Stella.

"The gun matched the bullet we pulled out of Molly Barbra. The gun has Garvey's prints on them. There was a speck of something caught in the safety mechanism but I couldn't track down what it was. I suspect its fibre form her sleeve from the clothes she was wearing at the time, but without anything to compare it to it's a dead end," Stella concluded handing the file to Mac.

Mac flicked it open checking the results himself.

"So we have her DNA at the scene, her fingerprints on the weapon that killed the girl but what motive?" Mac pondered.

"Maybe she wasn't aiming for the girl, from what Cory said the boyfriend had been kicked out of the Mob because he was pro-drugs. Maybe he knew something that Garvey didn't want him telling," Stella offered.

"It doesn't seen right that she waited six months to kill him?" Mac muttered thoughtfully.

"Sid said that Meth makes you erratic, maybe he was just getting into the Meth when Garvey kicked him out of the gang, maybe she gave him a chance to clean himself up and when he didn't she went around to his place to tie up a loose end…" Stella concluded.

"But instead surprised his girlfriend instead so ended up shooting her so there wasn't a witness," Mac finished. "I think it's time to put an arrest warrant out for Lucinda Garvey, get Flack to put it out over the radio."

Stella nodded before rising to her feet.

"By the way I booked the trip for the last week in May; we come back on June the first." She informed him, brushing her dark curls away from her face.

Mac gave her his first genuine smile for the day. Stella's face lit up, excitement in her eyes.

"I'm looking forward to it," he spoke honestly, grabbing the file off his desk as he followed her to the door.

"Me too," she murmured as he held the door open for her.

* * *

Adam was sitting across from me in my office as I helped him fill out the paperwork for his first closed case. He was beaming ear to ear as he signed one of the pieces of paper. I felt proud of him as I watched him move onto the next.

The gentle rapping on my door diverted my attention towards Mac leaning in the doorway of my office.

"Hey… You two look happy, what are all the smiles for, you'd think you were enjoying working in the Crime Lab," Mac spoke playfully a lopsided grin on his face.

Adam looked up as I leaned over my desk still grinning.

"Adam just closed his first case today," I told Mac.

Mac moved closer to my desk clasping Adam's shoulder.

"Well done, we'll make a CSI out of you yet," he grinned.

Adam flushed bright red under the praise but I could tell from his sheepish expression he was pleased.

Mac turned his attention to me the expression on his face a little more solemn.

"I have a case for you," he stated, handing me to the file.

I took it from his hands and flicked it open seeing the heading.

"I want to you lead the investigation," Mac told me bluntly.

Adam's eyes were on me curious.

"Mac, this is a kidnapping," I said out loud, frowning.

"The first seventy-two hours are crucial, you better get down there." With that he spun on his heel leaving me and Adam both stunned.

* * *

Cory frowned as she tread towards Danny's hospital room, the bag of takeout swinging in her left hand as she heard boisterous laugher erupting from the room.

Flack was stuck on shift looking for any leads on Lucinda Garvey's whereabouts so who was he laughing with?

She pushed open the door to find herself shocked as she was faced with Danny and his father both chuckling together.

"Hey Cory, Pop was just offering to lend me his cane when I get out of here," Danny exclaimed with a wry grin as he spotted her in the doorway.

By her calculations she'd been gone three hours and somewhere in that time Papa Messer had managed to right all the wrongs that he'd inflicted on Danny over the years. Not that she wasn't happy for the love of her life happy, she just wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't going to get hurt again.

"Sorry Mr Messer, I didn't realize you were coming otherwise I would have brought you something," she smiled, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. It was obvious that Danny didn't know about his mother yet.

"It's Reggie, Cory, and it's no problem it's just a quick visit to see how my boy was doing." Danny seemed to be flourishing in his father's reconciliation.

"Of course Reggie, I brought you Italian _chere,_" she told Danny, taking the meal out of the bag carefully.

Papa Messer rose to his feet and began to put on his jacket.

"I'll leave you two in peace to eat," he offered.

"Naw Pop, it's ok, stay," Danny gestured to the seat, holding the meal steady in his lap.

Papa Messer gave his son an affection smile before ruffling his hair.

"I gotta get going kiddo, places to be but I'll be back tomorrow," Reggie told a slightly disappointed Danny.

"You promise?" Cory looked on, thinking how Danny reminded her of a little boy at this moment.

Reggie nodded.

"You have my word," he replied before winking at Danny and saying his goodbyes.

Cory stared at the doorway after he'd left, raising an eyebrow.

"So…how was it?" she asked cautiously, returning her attention back to Danny who was happily munching on his food.

Danny shrugged.

"It was ok you know. I thought it was going to be awkward; he started apologizing for not being there for me after the academy. Said he'd wanted to talk to me over the years but he was scared that I wouldn't be able to forgive him. He's proud of me," Danny told her, looking a little overwhelmed.

There were tears glistening in his eyes.

"Oh, _chere_," she whispered putting her meal on the bedside table and slipping onto the bed next to him.

She moved his meal and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close as Danny pressed a hand to his face.

"I just didn't know how much I missed having him in my life until now," he told her, his voice rough with emotion.

Cory nodded her agreement, gently rubbing his back.

"It's just…I didn't expect it," Danny confessed wiping at his eyes with his hands.

"Hey, he's back now, so you have nothing to be upset about," Cory said softly, trying to comfort Danny.

He nodded, sniffing before turning his head towards her, his beautiful blue eyes shining, as he reached out taking her hand.

"I'm lucky to have you, you know, most girls would have taken off at the possibility of me being in a coma or becoming a vegetable but you stuck right by me. I gotta tell ya Cory, I don't say how much I appreciate you enough," Danny murmured, his hand stroking her face gently in awe of her beauty and compassion.

Cory smiled, kissing the palm of his hand gently.

"Come on, let's eat our dinner before it gets cold, you gotta keep your strength up to get out of this place," she said, drawing away from him slightly before placing the meal on his knee.

Danny picked up the fork and smiled contently at his guardian angel. Everything was falling back into place.

* * *

_**Woo! Time for updates. I'm off to work soon so I thought I'd leave you lovely peeps with this chapter. **_

_**Also as usual shameless plugging: Check out "What If's" **__(written by the wonderful Madison Bellows and myself.)__** and Spaxaph's "Gotham's Heroes" **__(a Axellia, Sparkycsi and Aphina creation featuring our OC's)_

_Browneyedgirl: lol that is so true every time I watch an ep, I expect him to be shoving food in his mouth. Glad you like I do try hard and you are doing wonderful work with Carmen._

_Sparkycsi: lol that is exactly how I imagine her to be. He's done the whole wedding bit before so he just wants her to have the dream wedding she deserves, but as you know it ain't gonna run smooth._

_Bluehaven: lol sparky wrote that in. I'm always really weary of writing her and Danny fluff because I can't seem to nail Cory down as much as I'd like to._

_Mauveine: Welcome!! I love meeting new people and thanks for reviewing my story. I'm glad you've enjoyed it, it's my baby lmao! I have a great time writing it! Lol that's seriously how I imagine Tay to be!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol it was the dress for the renewal vow ceremony, but it's getting used for my grad ball too! Lol I have to get around to my chores too! I'm glad you liked the updates, I wanted to bring it all back together after having everyone do separate little things. There's so many chars running around at the min._

_Axellia: Firstly congrats on catching up! I hope you aren't exhausting yourself! Lol I missed loads of Torchwood but I am determined to play catch up! Lol I wanted to show a little of Thomas and Danny's relationship. I imagine Danny's a fab Uncle! Lol I'm blushing at your Tay comment. It seemed like the right way to write her. She just makes me laugh. Lol you'll have to wait and see what happens with Danny and Lucie, I'm trying to keep it on a strict time line. Lol Like it stopped Flack doing a search! Lol Well I had to have them give him a nickname. I have 3 more weeks until she's back and I already have an ass kicking scene lined up!_

_Bad2wolf: loll after reading your review I was thinking ahead about light and fluffy talks and we'll have to see what happens. I had no idea here it all came form.. I could seriously see Tay freaking out, and the little thing between Carmen and Flack was something I tossed in to get the Doc thing across._

_JoanneF: Nice to see you again! Lol have to balance out the good with the bad, but you'll see what happens. I'm glad you like the story, I'm sure you'll like future chapters! I have a few surprises in store,_


	90. Chapter 90: Who's The Daddy

Chapter Ninety

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

_Nickleback - If Everyone Cared_

The crime scene was a child's nursery in an expensive house in the rich suburbs of the city. The room itself was huge for a nursery. Decorated with teddy bears and adorned with pink, you could tell that this was a girl's room. From the cot in the corner a baby.

I let out a deep breath, studying the room for a second, trying to getting a feel for the scene. I didn't want to screw this up.

"This where the baby was snatched from?" Hawkes asked stepping up next to me, his crime scene kit in his hand.

"Right out of the crib." I sighed.

"So how do you want to work this?" Sheldon asked, cogs already turning in his head.

"From the crib outwards ok to you?" I asked cautiously.

Hawkes squeezed my shoulder gently; I know he sensed my nerves from the warm smile he gave me.

"You'll do fine," he reassured me before taking out his latex gloves.

I bent down to retrieve my own latex gloves from my silver kit box.

"Let's hope so," I said grimly before stepping into the room and getting straight to work, Hawkes two steps behind me.

First thing first for me was the crib. I decided I'd check it first and Sheldon would double check it just to make sure I hadn't missed anything. On a case like this I couldn't afford mistakes. Sheldon was checking the floor surrounding the crib, in case anything had got caught in the plush, white carpet.

I stared into the crib; it was made of solid oak, its dark shiny surface reflecting the light as I studied it.

"I think I got a print here," I murmured, getting out my brush and beginning to dust the crib.

As it turned out there were hundreds of prints littering the crib, which of course was to be expected.

Next, I inspected the interior; whoever had taken the baby had taken the baby blanket as well. I sighed studying the bottom.

"Got a hair," I murmured, taking out my tweezers and a little brown evidence envelope.

"We have tread impressions on the carpet here too; they look like work man's boots," Hawkes said, getting out the camera and taking a picture.

"Gardener?" I asked thoughtfully.

"Got traces of soil on the carpet," Hawkes replied.

"A bit strange for a gardener to be in the baby's bedroom," I commented.

My attention turned to the door as I caught sight of Jessica Angell lingering there, her eyes taking in the room, she looked puzzled.

"Where's Mac?" she asked, as her eyes fell on me.

I crouched down next to my kit, putting the evidence envelope into it and squinting up at her.

"I'm in charge of the investigation," I told her directly.

Although she tried Jess couldn't mask the surprise on her face. I ignored it.

"So did Mr and Mrs Donahue have anything interesting to say?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face with the back of my wrist.

Angell's gaze flicked to her notepad.

"Parents said they came in around nine thirty and she was just gone. The baby is a eight month old female called Nikki. There were no signs of forced entry at all. All the staff has keys to the house that they're in trusted with," Angell informed us.

This made the job a hell of a lot harder.

"Any new members of staff?" I asked as Hawkes continued his search of the room.

Angell shook her head.

"They've all been with the family two years or more."

"Well this looks like an inside job, no signs of forced entry. The gardener have a key?" I asked curiously.

Angell glanced down at her notes.

"He's the only one that hasn't," Angell told me.

"So what's our next move?" Hawkes asked, rising to his feet from the crouching position he'd been in.

"I need you to get all of the staff together so we can take their shoe impressions," I said to Angell, packing my kit away.

Angell nodded her response before taking off to do my bidding.

"You and Jess seem to be on better terms," Hawkes noted, picking up his kit.

"It's been over three years; I thought it was time to let to go. She's not a bad person; she was going through a tough time and she knows what'll happen if she tried it again," I replied, fastening the clips on my kit.

"You can be pretty damn scary you know that?" Hawkes informed me as I rose to my feet.

"If I wasn't scary bad guys would never take me seriously," I pointed out.

Hawkes tilted his head to one side thoughtfully.

"Remind me never to cross you," Hawkes remarked half serious.

"I'm sure you've got a wild side you've never let any of us see Doc," I reminded him.

Hawkes raised his hands in mock surrender with a playful grin spreading across his face.

"That's between me and God," he told me, before swooping down and grabbing his kit to follow me out of the room.

I shrugged.

"I guess we all have our secrets," I commented with a sly smile.

Hawkes' eyes studied the surroundings of the living room as we stepped into the room.

"How many do you think this family have got?"

* * *

Paper was spread all over Flack's desk as he growled at the mounting stack of files he still had to go through. He missed the good old days of Gus sitting across from him, helping him out a little. The bull pen was becoming less and less tolerable without her. He raised his head for a second hearing the sound of heels stalking towards his desk. His head darted up a broad smile across his face as the blond beauty strode towards him, her thumbs tucked into the pockets of his jeans.

"Hey Broussard, I thought you were supposed to be staying away from this place for another three weeks," he called out as she reached his desk.

"I am going stir-crazy at home, I'm scared I'm gonna start arresting people in the street for littering," she told him, perching on the edge of his desk.

"You know most people would be happy having a break from this place," Flack reminded her, scribbling notes in the file in front of him.

"You one of them blue eyes?" Gus questioned, raising her eyebrow.

"At some point I wouldn't mind taking Carmen away for a few days, surprise her or something, but that ain't gonna be happening any time soon with all this Garvey stuff going on," Flack confided, tapping his pen against the desk.

"Nice to see romance isn't dead after all." Gus smiled, trying to get her balance amongst the heaped papers.

"She needs a break. She won't admit it but after everything that happened…" Flack shrugged. "She deserves a change of scenery."

Flack leaned forward his eyes on Gus, a troubled expression on his face.

"So sunshine, tell me about this date?"

Gus shrugged with a content smile; her hand slipped knocking a stack of papers onto the floor. Flack rolled his eyes at her clumsiness.

"Nothing to tell. He paid for everything. Wanted to come up for coffee at the end of the night, but I wasn't ready for that, he seemed to accept that. I really like him," she confided as she bent down to pick up the papers.

Flack looked worried as Gus stood up, shuffling the papers into order, before glancing down at them. The smile on her face froze. Flack frowned wondering what she'd picked up as her gaze turned practically glacial. She held the piece of paper up to show him.

"You ran my date through the system?!" she all but yelled at him, her eyes scanning the information.

Flack winced at the tone of her voice before trying to explain.

"I was for your own good sunshine and Doc Feelgood…" Gus cut him off.

"Doc Feelgood?! What the hell Flack? Why didn't you just go ahead and nickname him McDreamy. I know we're supposed to be partners and all but I do like some privacy outside of the office." Gus growled, slamming the paper down as she read through it.

"There's a lot of bad guys out there, I was trying to…" Flack began, scared of what may happen if he admitted that him and Matt had actually discussed that nickname in detail before deciding on Doc Feelgood.

"He's married?!" Gus erupted as Flack cringed at the octave of her voice.

"They could be separated," he offered seeing the flash of hurt across Gus's face.

Flack rose to his feet, watching as the younger woman quaked in a mixture of rage and frustration. He reached out and touched her shoulder, pity in his eyes.

"Look sunshine…"

Gus tore herself away from his grasp, shaking her head.

"Do not dare 'sunshine' me Flack, or I swear to God I will kill you. I can not believe you went behind my back and ran my date through the system. What gives you the right to stick your nose into my private life like that?" Gus snarled as Flack crossed his arms over his chest.

"I thought I was protecting you, I saw a ring on that guys' finger; you deserve more then to be used by someone like that…"

"That is my business and mine alone, you're not my parent Flack, I do not need you to molly coddle me so back the hell off," Gus yelled, scrunching up the papers and throwing them at the bin before turning away and striding towards the exit.

"You ever baby me again Flack, you'll be finding yourself a new partner," Gus stated, glancing over her shoulder before yanking the doors to the stationhouse pen and disappearing into the night.

* * *

"Ok, so the shoe prints we pulled, none of them were a match," Hawkes told me as we both strolled down the corridor towards DNA.

I took the folder from his hands examining his findings.

"Not even the dad, Mr Donahue?" I asked disappointed.

Hawkes shook his head.

"Good call on getting him to give it in for 'elimination'." Hawkes did the sign for air quotes with his fingers.

"There was something off about both the parents; I can't put my finger on it," I mentioned as we swung into DNA.

Hawkes nodded his agreement, folding his arms over his chest.

"I think they were hiding something but who knows what, a family like that has gotta have their secrets," Hawkes reminded me.

"I actually may have the answer to that," the new blond lab tech beamed as she swung around in her chair to face us.

Kendall was young, pretty and smart. Mac had hired her to replace Adam's old position since Adam was now set to become a full time CSI.

"Do tell," I gestured with my hand for her to continue.

"I compared the hair you found in the crib to a hair sample of the baby's hair brush. It was a paternal match but not to either of the Donahues. It came back to a man named James Mason. He got out of jail two weeks ago, on parole for assault," Kendall informed us, before reverting her gaze the screen.

"Wow, so Mr Donahue's not the daddy," I stated surprised.

"I wonder if he knows that?" Hawkes pondered.

"What about that print I gave you?" I asked Kendall, as she ran a hand through her long blond hair.

"I'm still running it through AFIS," Kendall told me, with an apologetic expression.

"Page me if anything comes through," I requested as I slipped my phone out of my pocket and dialled Angell.

"We have a lead."

* * *

_**It's update time! I've been out and about most of the day with my housemate Tash and because I've had such a great day I've decided to share the love and update. Thanks for all the reviews they really make a difference.**_

_**As usual I'm plugging the brand new chapter of **__"Gotham's Heroes"__** and the joint story by Maddy Bellows and myself **__"What If's"_

_Browneyed: lol I love Adam too he makes me wanna cuddle him so much esp in later chapters. Lol The case is a little on going over for the next few chapters, so you'll get to see everyone's chars out and about and doing things._

_Katydid: lol maybe it is, you'll have to wait and see. We have a lot going on with everyone, so I'm trying to portray how different everyone's lives are._

_DaisyAngel: lol how do you know it won't last? I maybe going easy on them for a while. Lol you'll see more of Thomas soon hopefully._

_Bad2wolf: lol no you did not tell me!! Me and my housemate are so jealous! I want a hug and a kiss! Lol I well would have squeed!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I may be being nice to them all for a change, I do have a few ideas coming up, it should be fun to play them out. I think there may be a few surprises but I'm not sure yet._

_Bluehaven: lol you'll be seeing it in later chapter, she has to pass this little test first before she can run the lab, to prove she's competent. Lol A hell of a lot of action I think. I can't wait to get to hr running the lab but there's other stuff I need to do for a lead up to the events first._

_Sparkycsi: lol I would have literally freaked if I were you, but I suppose you're used to it. Lol thanks for your Cory compliments! Thank you so much for betaing!_

_JoanneF: lol I love Adam! He's one of my new chars to play with and he gets a lot of action soon, in all sorts of different ways, we also get an introduction to his sister too!_


	91. Chapter 91: Friends and Facts

Chapter Ninety One

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

_Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams_

Gus's golden blond hair was whipping around her head in the wind as she strode towards the entrance of the hospital with long, purposeful strides. Red hot fury raced through her as she strode through the doors and towards the nurses station. She raised her eyes hearing that laugh erupt through the corridor. Her fists clenched as she stopped, her bright green eyes fixed on the scene before her.

Doctor Decan Richardson had his arms wrapped around a brunette; his lips were on hers in a more than friendly kiss. The wedding band on the brunette's finger caught the light, making Gus's temper flare. She watched as Doc Decan broke apart from his wife and brushed the hair away from her face before murmuring something and stepping away. His head rose as Gus's fists clenched. His eyes fell on her, the smile on his frozen in place, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You fucking bastard," Gus snarled at the handsome young doctor before her eyes darted to his wife. The other woman was now staring at Gus startled.

"I hope you know what a fucking asshole he is. Did he tell you he was working late last night whiles he was trying to screw me?!" She spat scathingly before spinning on her heel and storming back the way she came.

* * *

I slammed the folder down in front of James Mason.

"Where's the kid?" I growled, leaning over the desk and narrowing my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mason informed me, crossing his arms across his chest.

I shook my head before flipping open the folder.

"That's funny I have your DNA in your daughter's crib, and your size twelve boot matches the boot print in her room. You better start telling me the truth right now James, otherwise your going down for a very long time," I sneered.

Mason held his hands out in mock surrender.

"Alright I was there, I just wanted to see the kid, see if she looked more like me or Karen Donahue."

"How'd you get in?" I questioned, with a frown.

"Karen let me in. I wanted to see my kid and she took me through to see her…" he hesitated, looking down at his hands.

"Then you decided to snatch her when no one was looking." I added.

Mason shook his head.

"It wasn't like that Karen paid me fifty thousand to stay away for good. You have to understand I had nothing when I came out of prison. Jack shit to my name."

I stared at him, feeling fury fill me.

"So you took the money and sold your child," I seethed.

"She has a better chance with them, an education, a chance at being brought up properly, what could I offer her? A scummy apartment and gambling debts." Mason averted his gaze away from mine ashamed. "Karen's a good mother and from what I heard Brad Donahue pretty much stays away from the kid, I think he only keeps Nikki to keep Karen happy."

"How did you and Karen meet?" I asked curiously, slipping into the chair.

"Karen wasn't always rich you know? We grew up in the same neighbourhood; we were sweethearts from a while back. Anyway we split up and she ended up with Donahue and marrying into money. She must have heard I was looking for a job because the next thing I know Mr Donahue's giving me a job as the resident gardener, that was a little over two years ago." Mason rubbed his beard with a faint smile before continuing, "Brad was away a lot on business trips and Karen was lonely, so I used to come and hang out a lot, one thing led to another and well she got pregnant. Brad knew straight away it wasn't his."

Mason's eyes were back on mine as I listened to his story intently.

"Karen told me he'd had a vasectomy before they were first married, so the baby was definitely mine, but they were going to raise it as Brad's. I got drunk one night and got into a fight and went to prison. I got out two weeks ago and got in contact with Karen and you know the rest," Mason told me as I rose to my feet.

A few more questions and I treaded out of the interrogation room, finding myself face to face with Hawkes.

"Looks like he's being honest, there's no evidence to say it was him who actually took the baby and the Donahue's forgot to mention that Brad wasn't really the baby's father," Hawkes reeled off as my pager suddenly erupted to life.

"Kendall's got something on the fingerprint," I muttered studying the pager before we both stepped into the elevator.

* * *

Adam's Ipod headphones were fixed firmly to his ears as he danced to the music inside the break room, feeling content in himself. He'd solved his first case and life was good. He spun around turning to see Gus lingering in the doorway, her smile not quite meeting her eyes as she gave him a finger wave.

Adam pulled his head phones out of his ears sheepishly before rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He'd always liked Gus; she was the only one of the homicide detectives who'd actually bothered to get to know him before he was promoted to CSI. They'd hung out a few times after their shifts; it was only recently that their light hearted conversations were beginning to get a little bit deeper.

Adam found himself one night telling her of the abuse him and his sister had suffered at the hands of their real father, in turn she'd opened up a little about her ex fiancé Gage. They'd both had a bad run of luck in life.

"I didn't know you were standing there," he told her blushing.

Gus leaned in the doorway her arms folded over her chest.

"You impress the ladies with those moves, Ross?" Gus teased before stepping into the break room with a small smile.

"Only the ones worth the time and the effort," he retorted as she settled onto the couch, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You ok?" Adam asked frowning before he dropped down into the seat next to her, his hands resting between his knees.

"It's just been a rough night," she answered, looking forlorn.

"Erm, Gus it's only just turned seven," Adam pointed out, showing her his watch.

Gus let out a long sigh.

"What I wouldn't do for a drink right now," she muttered, raking her hands through her hair.

"Not a good idea considering you got a new kidney all of three weeks ago. I'm pretty sure Taylor would kill you if you screwed up that kidney by drinking before you're allowed to," Adam advised.

Gus nodded her response; it was unusual for her to be this quiet. It made him sad to see her looking so downtrodden.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Adam asked suddenly, wondering where his sudden surge of confidence had come from.

Gus stretched out, and leaned back on the couch, staring at her hands.

"Nothing. I am free and available, you have something in mind?" Gus asked, her beautiful green eyes looking up at him curiously.

Adam felt his breath catch in his throat at the expression of pure innocence on her face. It was moments like this that reminded him that Gus Broussard was someone entirely different underneath the hard exterior she portrayed to the rest of the world.

"My friend's band is playing…I was wondering if maybe you wanted to… I dunno watch them or something," he rambled nervously, staring down at his hands.

"Sure." That one word made Adam's heart soar for a moment before his eyes met Gus's again.

She was smart and beautiful. Why would she ever want with someone like him when she could have anybody else? She deserved a hunky fire-fighter or another detective, someone with a gym membership and with looks that matched hers so she wasn't outshined. He bit back his sigh of disappointment before gathering his Ipod together and slipping it into his pocket.

"I get off shift at eight so we can meet at mine at nine and then head off together. That sound ok to you?" Adam asked as he straightened up.

Gus nodded before rising to her feet, an impish smile spreading across her face.

"I'll catch you later, Adam." And with a little wave she was gone leaving Adam to contemplate the little crush he had developed on Gus Broussard.

* * *

_**It's updating time! I'm recovering from fudge sickness at the current mo, me and my housemate went out yesterday and bought a million different fudges from some quaint sweet shop we found and because it's near the pc, I pick at it and don't realize how much I'm eating until I have killer stomach ache. Yes I am a dumbass.**_

_**Anyway thanks for the reviews and please continue to R & R.**_

_**I'm plugging Spaxaph's **__"Gotham's Heroes" __**and Maddy Bellows and mine's **__"What If's"__** Take a look at them! I hand out fudge to anyone that reads them! They are fantastic stories and a lot of hard works gone into them!!**_

_Bad2wolf: lol at the same time it was an invasion of privacy. It's more realistic because she would be furious. Lol I don't blame everyone being jealous. My housemate has a thing for Capt John._

_Laplandgurl: lol it was a long time ago, but because Hawkes was the one to comfort Carmen when it happened it's still vivid for him, esp now they're all working a case together. And the fact the guy has the best memory ever. Lol Adam will get a lot of screen time in my story. He has his own little storyline later on. I do agree he's under rated._

_Axellia: That was a result of what happens when goes crazy! I can appreciate McDreamy but he doesn't really do it for me. Lol it's just taken me five mins to realize what D/C was lol! I am the shameless plugger! It was a long time ago. They've been married two and a half years now and all that kicked off when she wasn't sure whether to accept his proposal or not. I was thinking in real life people don't tend to really forget about those things. I know I sure as hell don't. lol I have more time on my hands at the min than you do. You've written a lot too! I think she's more freaking out about actually getting to lead a kidnapping case to let anything personal get to her at the minute, she knows she's being watched closely and there's a few people who would like to see her fail. She can't afford to make a mistake._

_Maddy Bellows: lol it can only get better, I hope you like 95, everything's starting to take off now storyline wise so I'm getting excited. You do know you just made my head swell!_

_Katydid13: lol I think your right, the case isn't as simple as it seems. We're still darting back and forth between people and there's all new developments in other people's lives. I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible._

_Sparkycsi: Thanks for getting them all back to me, I really appreciate it! Lol I knew she couldn't afford to be cocky about it esp with the way everything is at the moment. Kendall makes me laugh because she's a fun char to write._

_Daisyangel: LMAO! He's protective of Gus because she's one of his closest friends and he knows she's had a rough time. Lol she'll cool down and he'll say sorry eventually. Everything's starting to take off soon so you'll be getting a lot more action. I feel exactly the same way as Adam; he should way get more screen time! I intend to utilize him fully in this story._


	92. Chapter 92: Dirty Laundry

Chapter Ninety Two

_Do you wake up on your own?  
And wonder where you are  
You live with all your faults _

_I wanna wake up where you are  
I won't say anything at all  
So why don't you slide  
Yeah I'm gonna let it slide _

_Goo Goo Dolls – Slide_

"You paged?" I chimed as I popped my head into Kendall's domain, Hawkes close behind me.

The platinum blond lab tech gave me a dazzling smile as she swung to face me in her chair.

"That finger print got a hit in AFIS...It comes back to a Rosa Sanchez," Kendall informed us.

I shook my head not registering the name.

Hawkes stepped closer to the computer screen, leaning closely over Kendall's shoulder.

"Check out her last known place of residence," he remarked as I tread closer.

"The Donahue house," I murmured before crossing my arms over my chest thoughtful.

"She definitely wasn't there when I was doing the shoe impressions," Hawkes told me, an intense expression on his face.

"Call Angell and get her to bring them both in, I'm getting a little sick of having to recover all the facts ourselves," I told Sheldon impatiently before checking my watch.

The baby had been missing for over twelve hours now and I was finding myself getting more and more agitated at the fact we were being messed with around by her supposed loved ones.

"I'm on it," Hawkes stated, getting his phone out and moving into the corridor.

"He's a hot one isn't he? The quiet guys are always the wild ones. And I've always had a thing for smart men," she stated, her eyes roving over Hawkes as she licked her lips.

I waved my hand in front of Kendall's face.

"Enough with the perving and more with the stack of DNA you have mounting up."

Kendall looked up at me, pouting her red lips sulkily.

"What's the point of having so many hot men around if you can't have a little fun once in a while?" she commented as she turned back to face the computer.

I rolled my eyes at the younger woman before returning my gaze to Hawkes as he snapped his phone shut.

"Angell's going to haul them both in; I say we take a break for a few minutes until she calls us. We've been working on this for a while now and I'm feeling the intense need for coffee," Hawkes remarked with a small smile, his eyes on my face.

"I like your thinking, Doc," I yawned before letting him lead me in the direction of the break room.

* * *

Adam yanked open the door as Gus lifted her fist to pound on it again.

"You can tell you work for the NYPD," he complained as he let her into his apartment.

Gus looked around for a second, realizing that there was something badly amiss in Adam's apartment.

"Did you have a girl over or something? Because it looks remarkably clean since I was last here," she stated trailing after him, feeling slightly more downcast at that thought.

Adam snorted.

"I don't even have time anymore to do that awkward social dance they call dating anymore," he informed her as he stepped into his bedroom.

Gus followed standing near the bed as he began undoing the button up shirt he wore over a black t-shirt, he threw it in the laundry hamper, cheering as it sailed straight in. She watched as he moved to grab a shirt off the pile of laundry heaped on the end of his bed. The stack tumbled over, spreading clothes across the bed and floor. Gus sniggered as Adam sighed and began scooping up various clothes off the floor.

"So why the mass clean up?" Gus asked, her arms wrapped around herself.

"My sister's coming to stay for a few days; we're celebrating my promotion to CSI," he said, reaching around her in order to pluck another button up shirt from the bed.

Gus tried to take a step back and instead found the back of her knees pressed against the bed. Adam's foot caught in the tangle of shirts that had fallen on the floor, causing him to lose his balance momentarily. Gus put her hand on his chest to steady herself and him, as his body knocked into hers, Adam's hands enclosed on her arms as they fought to maintain their balance.

Their bodies were pressed against each other as they managed to steady each other. Gus found herself gazing up into Adam's cobalt eyes, his gaze slipped to her lips, their faces inches apart. Gus leaned in, her lips brushing Adam's chastely, his arms wrapped around her waist as he gently held her body closer, deepening the kiss.

Gus's hands were running through his hair, as his fingers trailed up her spine, causing her to shiver against him as her tongue probed his mouth. Adam tipped Gus onto the bed gently, his body covering hers as they lay on the crisp white sheets and amongst the shirts that had tipped over.

Adam revelled in the closeness of her body against his. Her shirt had ridden up. His lips broke away from hers momentarily, before he trailed red hot kisses down her throat. Gus moaned under his touch as he undid the buttons of her shirt. Her body bucked as his tongue trailed along the bottom of her bra and then down her navel before he licked all the way back up again. His lips were on hers again, her kisses were deep and intense and when he looked into her gorgeous green eyes he felt like he was drowning.

Her hands run under his shirt, her fingers caressing the firm muscles of his chest. He was by no means the fittest guy in the world but he kept himself in shape. She smelt of jasmine, something he associated with innocence, and the Gus Broussard underneath him, despite the fact she was responding to his roaming hands looked as innocent as they came.

He'd never seen someone so strong and beautiful look so beaten, as he had today and he wanted to take that away. He wanted to show her he knew what it was like to be alone and she wasn't alone amore. He was there, if that's what she wanted, if that's what she needed.

Gus's legs wrapped around his waist as she ground herself against him. Adam groaned into her mouth as her hands began to peel the black t-shirt from his skin, her hands guiding it over his shoulders and off. Adam looked down at the beautiful woman lying before him, her eyes closed, lips parted as he traced his finger over the thin lace of her wine red bra.

There was definitely no place he'd rather be than with her.

* * *

"I think someone has a crush on you." I teased as Hawkes slipped the mug filled with his own special coffee in front of me.

I inhaled before taking a long deep sip and giving a content sigh.

"You're talking about the blond bombshell, I presume." Hawkes remarked, his eyes darting to Kendall, who gave him a lusty wink.

"Subtly has apparently not crossed her mind." Hawkes commented before shuddering and returning this gaze to me.

"She thinks you're deep and sexy and have a wicked and wild side that none of us know about." I informed him, taking another luxurious sip out of my coffee cup.

Hawkes shrugged.

"Maybe I do but that's not her business." Hawkes remarked.

I wrapped my hands around my mug, to keep them warm.

"You're a pretty private person Doc, I bet there's a lot of things we don't know about you."

A flash of something crossed Hawke's face before he looked down into his coffee.

"As you said I'm a private person." He reminded me.

"And I bet there's a good reason for that." I pointed out.

Hawkes smiled tightly before nodding his head.

"There is."

I studied him for a moment. Hawkes was the most private person I know. As he said he had good reasons for it. I decided to return to the subject at hand.

"So you're not planning to take a ride on the blond bombshell?" I asked, jerking my thumb at Kendall.

Hawke shook his head before taking a sip of his coffee and leaning forward to whisper.

"To be honest she scares the crap out of me."

I nodded my agreement.

"It's the whole forward thing isn't it?" I asked.

"That and the fact she's only got one thing on her mind." Hawkes told me openly.

"You looking to settle down Doc?" Hawkes gave me a small smile as I spoke.

"I'm looking to meet the right woman. I'm sick of just going from one doomed relationship to the next. I want something especial that I know will last. Kinda like you and Flack." His chocolate eyes met mine as he spoke.

I arched an eyebrow.

"God help you if you end up with something like me and Flack, you'd be in for one wild ride." I told him, draining the last of my coffee.

"But that's part of the fun, having someone to share that with." Hawkes pointed out, his eyes twinkling.

I found myself smiling.

"I guess your right." I murmured.

My pager cut off the rest of the conversation as I rose to my feet, glancing down at it.

"Angell has the parents. I guess its back to work." I sighed, grabbing Hawkes mug to rinse them both out.

"You're doing a good job, you know Carmen, with this case." Hawkes told me honestly.

"I just wish I didn't feel like we were being jerked around so much." I responded, shaking my head as I tipped the cups onto the draining board.

"Let's hope we manage to clear things up here. You want me to take the dad?" Hawkes offered as we stepped out into the corridor.

"Yep…you take Dad, and I'll take mom and we'll meet in the middle." I quipped.

"Good plan." Hawkes agreed as we stepped into the lift and pressed the button for our descent.

* * *

Danny was sitting quietly in the hospital bed, reading a James Patterson book that Cory had brought up for him, while sneaking glances of her working madly on her computer.

She had long since removed her contacts, claiming that they were bugging her and with her glasses perched on her nose and her hair pulled back into a bun, she reminded him of a sexy librarian. He glanced back down at his book, his mind screaming that he could think like that yet, he wasn't up to the workout that would ensue if he let that fantasy run free.

Shaking his head, he concentrated on getting lost in the twists and turns of plot of the crime drama and didn't even realize when the doctor entered quietly, grabbing his chart on the way to standing by his bed. Dr. Willis cleared his throat slightly, causing both Danny and Cory's head to whip up in surprise.

Cory giggled softly. "Sorry, Doctor. I guess we were kinda involved with what we were doing."

The doctor smiled. "Not a problem. I'm actually here to give you some good news." Danny looked at him, his gaze hopeful. "I'm going to release you tomorrow, but with a couple of conditions."

Danny's look of triumph quickly faded. "What conditions?" he asked with caution.

The doctor smiled. "One, you can't live alone until you are completely done with physical therapy and are cleared by me." Danny nodded, not surprised. "Secondly, you are going to have restrictions on your activities. First off, you can not lift anything greater than ten pounds for at least the next month. No lifting anything over your head."

Danny nodded sullenly while Cory also nodded her agreement with a smile. "I can make sure of that, Dr.Willis."

The doctor nodded again. "Good. I've set you up on a physical therapy schedule," he said as he handed Danny a piece of paper, "and a diet plan. It will help your body recover as quickly as possible. Other than that, I can truly say that I hope never to see either of you in her again, but with your jobs, that's unlikely. If you need me, I've attached my card and my service will always know how to get in touch with me."

"Thank you, Doctor," Danny responded before turning and smirking at Cory. "So, _bella,_ are you sure you want me to come home with you?"

Cory answered his smirk with one of her own before crawling into the bed next to him. As she settled beside him, his arm already around her, she said sincerely, "Positive."

Danny just smiled down at her as they settled back into a comfortable silence.

_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As usual I am plugging! Look at **__What If's __**written my Maddy Bellows and myself and of course **__Gotham's Heroes__**! – written under Spaxaph!**_

_Katy did: lol surprise, I hope this chapter answered your Q. I think they make a cute couple and they both deserve to be happy! _

_Bluehaven: lol I'd dance with Adam, it's just such a prominent image!_

_Hardylover: Welcome and it's nice to see you! I hope your enjoying the story! Lol I was a bit unsure about writing them at first but as soon as I got them together they just took over and it was easy because they work so well together._

_Lapland: Never ever again will I eat that much fudge. I was horrified when I worked out I'd eaten just under a quarter of a kilo in two days. My house mate was like how the hell… I have to admit I am a choc lover! My dad's diabetic and he can't shake the whole not allowed to eat certain things, he can be pretty naughty when it comes to it. Lol I hope it wrecks his home life too, you're not the only evil one around here!_

_Maddy Bellows: lol I promise never again, I learnt that lesson! Lol I'm glad you think I write Gus well. I loved writing her and Adam in this chapter! I sent you some chapters and well you'll be surprised but I wanted to check if I wrote Gus ok, and I may need your help on it. Glad you liked the chapter though. I felt sorry for Mason at the end of it._

_Bad2wolf: I am one of the anger lashing out people lol. Lol it is such a pity that man's gay! Hope you like the chapter._

_Daisy Angel: lol What do you think about the pairing? Lol you're right she can't, Gerrard's just waiting for her to screw up. Lol The case gets more twisted as it goes on. I didn't make this one simple._

_JoanneF: lmao it is adorable I had to use something clumsy because that's literally the way they both are and I doubted either of them would have really made the first move otherwise. I have lots in store for everyone. My plot bunnies went crazy…You'll see._


	93. Chapter 93: Mamas & Papas

Chapter Ninety Three

_Its unsightly glow  
Lights my way below  
How I love it so completely-  
I suppose-  
It's sweetness is my weakness  
I was the last to know_

_Greg Dulli – Pussywillow_

Karen Donahue was a tall, willowy middle aged blond, with an expensive handbag and expensive shoes to match. Yet it was the expression on her face that captured me, it was one of extreme sadness.

"There's a lot you haven't been telling us, Karen. A lot of stuff we've had to work out for ourselves and for a woman apparently desperate to find her chid, I'm beginning to question your intentions."

Karen simply bowed her head and stared at her shoes.

"For example, Brad isn't the father of Nikki is he? James Mason is. I'm not gonna fool around with you. I could have you up for obstruction of justice, because that's exactly what you have been doing."

"James wouldn't have taken Nikki; he knew what was best for our child. She can have everything she wanted in this world," Karen told me, toying with her wedding ring.

"It would have been handy to know that before we wasted valuable time on eliminating him. You know what I think…. I think you don't really want to find your daughter. I think you and Brad planned this out; he didn't want a baby and you had to figure out a way to get rid of her… So you planned…" Karen jumped up from her seat surprising the hell out of me, her face full of fury.

"Don't you dare accuse me of anything like that ever again! I love my daughter and the only thing I'm guilty of is trying to protect this family," she snarled.

"Then you can prove that by telling me about Rosa Sanchez," I returned firmly, slamming the picture in between the two of us.

Karen's eyes focused on the picture in front of her before she sank back into her chair.

"Rosa was our nanny," Karen informed me, rubbing her hands on her face.

"Was?"

"We fired her last week. She wasn't taking care of Nikki properly," she turned her head away as she said this.

"You're an awful liar Karen. You're sitting here lying to me when I could be out there attempting to find your daughter!" I roared.

"Brad fired her because I found out he was screwing her!" Karen lashed out.

I stood staring at her for a second.

"And you didn't think to mention this when Detective Angell interviewed you earlier today?!" I exclaimed, clenching my jaw.

"Brad told me not to. He said that the information may leak to the press and that it would disgrace the family… Please just find my daughter." Karen was sobbing now; thick tears were running down her cheeks.

I leaned over the desk, meeting Karen's eyes dead on.

"I need Rosa's address."

* * *

Mac crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head as he watched Carmen's interrogation through the window.

"She knew where to hit and to hit hard," Sinclair complimented from next to Mac, whom nodded her agreement.

"That's one of the reasons I picked her, she won't let herself be walked over," Mac stated openly.

"You know I don't agree with your choice, but I'll back it," Sinclair told Mac, his eyes on the other man as he watched the younger CSI through the window.

"You think she'll be able to take the stress of running the crime lab?" Sinclair asked quietly.

"I have no doubt about it, if she can lead a kidnapping investigation the way she is, I'd say she'll have no trouble handling the lab. People respect her, they listen to her, she knows when to come down hard and she knows what people need. She'll be fine," Mac explained to the other man.

"Gerrard's not impressed with the Board's decision to accept your recommendation. He feels the position would be more suited to someone who has more authority and has been playing the politics a lot longer than Detective Devine," Sinclair revealed.

Mac snorted.

"Gerrard's been playing the politics so long that he's forgotten what it's like to be a cop on the streets," Mac returned with a wry smile.

Sinclair nodded his agreement before moving towards the door leading to the corridor. He paused as he reached for the door handle, glancing at Mac over his shoulder.

"I hope you know what your doing Mac, for your sake," he muttered.

"I'd bet my badge on it."

* * *

Adam was lying on his back, the bed sheets tangled around his waist as he ran his hand through Gus's golden hair, his lips brushing her forehead.

Gus's slender body was pressed against him, the rise and fall of her chest feeling natural against his. Her head was resting on his chest as she listened to his heart beat begin to slow down in the aftermath of their love making.

"Wow that was…" Adam furrowed his brow searching for the word.

"Mind blowing?" Gus suggested, as she rolled on to her stomach, her chin resting on Adam's chest, so she could look into his eyes.

"Hell yeah." Adam agreed, looking down at her as he smoothed the hair away from her face.

Gus's hand was tracing lazy circles up his thigh with delicate fingers. Adam sighed contently, feeling himself begin to stir again.

"So Detective Ross…"

"I like it when you call me that." Adam murmured as Gus ran her tongue along his collarbone.

"No regrets?" Gus whispered, nipping at his earlobe.

"Definitely not," he groaned as she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist.

"Because I was thinking we should do it again. I wanna be on top this time."

Adam's hands were on her thighs as she began to tease him mercilessly, making him call out her name for the second time that night.

* * *

"So what did the father have to say?" I asked Hawkes rubbing at my burning eyes wearily as I exited the interrogation room.

"Not much. Just said that the nanny wasn't adequately looking after the baby. He was pretty vague about it though," Hawkes informed me, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

It was the early hours of the morning and the both of us were exhausted.

"You should go home and get some sleep Doc. Look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow," I told him crossing my arms over my chest.

Hawkes looked at me sceptical as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I already know you're not going home tonight," he pointed out as I stretched my arms out.

"Doesn't mean that one of us shouldn't get a little shut eye," I commented.

Hawkes shook his head with a small smile.

"I'll get the coffee and meet you in the layout room. Actually have you eaten yet?" Hawkes asked me inquisitive.

My stomach rumbled in response, causing him to chuckle, before I checked my watch.

"Not in a long time," I admitted.

"We're getting Chinese," Hawkes announced before whipping his phone out and stalking in the direction of the break room to start making coffee.

As I watched him go, I thanked God for giving Hawkes this case too.

* * *

_**It's updating time! I'm updating now because I doubt I'll be able to over the next few days I'll have a lot on. So I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

_**As usual I am a shameless plug! So I demand you read Spaxaph's **__Gotham Heroes __**and mine and Maddy Bellows joint AU DI collaboration **__What If's._

_**Also a little shout out to all you lurkers out there! You know who you are adding me and my story to your favs. Thank you.**_

_Bluehaven: lol considering I was dreading trying to write them as a pairing, I am loving them, their fun and easy to write with a nice humorous undertone. They're cute as hell! Lol I will eat your entire box of cookies!_

_Browneyedgirl: lol Adam loving! I am high fiving here. Sam will be making her first appearance soon. I have plans for her Mwhahahahaha! Lol thankies for being a loyal follower._

_Maddy Bellows: Well Hawkes has an interesting secret which no one suspects. They are such a cute couple to write! Lol I am starting to think wicked thoughts about Hawkes now! I sent you a new chapter to peek at._

_Katydid13: lol thankies, it turned out to be a really good pairing. I really enjoy writing them because it's fun and cute. They're writing themselves._

_Laplandgurl: lol I promise Sheldon will get some loving eventually. Whether he'll be able to handle it or not's another thing. I'm glad you like Adam and Gus they are so sweet together._

_Sparky: lol I love them too they're just easy to play with. I intend to do more on Hawkes secret, but no one really finds out too much about it for a long time. After the ball it gets revealed to a certain someone._

_Mauveine: lol it's np, I know that real life also take priority sometimes. Lol Adam gets a whole load of time in this story. We get to see how his romance goes and get a few glances of his past and the effects it has on him now… You'll see._


	94. Chapter 94: Home Away From Home

Chapter Ninety Four

_Feel mortality surround me  
I close my eyes and think that I have found me  
But life inside the music box ain't easy  
The mallets hit the gears are always turning  
And everyone inside the mechanism  
Is yearning to get out..._

_Regina Spektor – Musicbox_

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty," a voice whispered on my ear as I lifted my head from the desk.

My arms were stiff from resting my head on them. I blinked still groggy and trying to get my bearings as a fresh cup of coffee was shoved under my nose along with a brown paper bag.

"What time is it?" I asked Flack rubbing my face with my hands wearily.

Flack slipped down into the seat across from my desk prodding the bag towards me.

"A little after seven," he informed me, slipping his own coffee, as I poured the packets of sugar into mine.

"You didn't come home last night so I guessed you were pulling an all nighter and would need some substance. Hence I decided to bring you breakfast." Flack gave me a sympathetic smile.

"How much sleep did you end up getting last night?" he asked me, his eyes were on my face, studying me.

"We raided the nanny's place last night, found evidence that the kid had been there recently but no sign of the nanny, apparently she has a sister that lives with her so we're tracing the both of them. We put out an APB out for them. By the time we got back here and tested the evidence it was a little before five," I told him.

Flack's eyebrows furrowed. I could tell he was worried but he also knew that I could handle this. He trusted me to know when to stop.

I opened the brown paper bag in front of my and found my senses being assaulted with the small of warm, fresh chocolate croissants. I moaned as I bit into one.

"Flack, this is pure heaven," I uttered between bites.

"Don't forget to chew," he sniggered as I wolfed the first one down before sipping my coffee.

"How was Thomas last night? You give him a big hug and a kiss from me?" I asked, before biting into croissant number two.

"He was griping because his Mom wasn't home… I think he's scared that you've gone away again like in January," Flack admitted, looking down into his coffee.

"I should have called," I remarked, shaking my head at my own irresponsibility.

Flack's hand covered mine, drawing my attention back to him.

"You got swept up in a case; it happens, especially a case like this. Let me worry about the baby for a while," Flack reassured me, his fingers linking in mine.

"I've got twenty-four hours before Mac takes it back," I confided in Don.

"You'll find the kid," Flack promised me, with a small smile.

His faith in me forced a grin to spread across my face, as I remembered Hawkes' words yesterday about the two of us being forever.

My pager broke the moment causing me to pull away reluctantly.

"Hawkes has something…" I was already rising to my feet.

Don was milliseconds behind me, as I glanced up meeting his gaze.

"I gotta go…" I muttered apologetically, stepping around my desk and rubbing my eyes again.

Flack stuck his arm out to block my way for a moment. I tilted my head up momentarily confused. Flack cupped my chin gently; his lips brushed mine softly, as I melted into his kiss. His arms wrapped around me as I breathed in the scent of his after shave. His hand smoothing my hair as he hugged me to him, I held on tightly before pulling away sighing.

"I'll catch you later…" I murmured, pulling a face.

Flack chuckled.

"Don't forget to eat lunch," he called after me.

I waved my reply before launching into a small sprint towards the Trace Lab.

* * *

Cory rolled her eyes as Danny fidgeted in the bed, impatiently waiting for the doctor. "_Chere?_ Just calm down. I know that you are really wanting to get out of here, but you're making me nervous!" she said with a laugh. "I promise, you are getting out of here today."

Danny turned to her about to retort when the Doctor Willis walked in. "Detective Messer, you ready to leave?"

Danny shot him a look that clearly said, 'Are you kidding?' before responding, "Yeah."

Doctor Willis smiled and he brought the forms over for him to sign. "I'll you'll sign these then we can get you out of here."

Danny nodded and quickly signed the forms and handed them back. "So, I can go now?" he asked in such a hopeful voice that Cory laughed.

"Yes, _chere,_ we can go now, but you have to get dressed first!"

The doctor smiled at the two of them as he shut the door behind him. Danny crawled out of the bed, slowly, feeling the muscles in his back tense a bit in pain as he moved. He tried to put on his shirt, but he found that with the pain, he couldn't get dressed as he was used to.

Without a word, Cory moved to assist him, helping him into his clothes quickly. When they were done, Cory opened the door for the nurse to come in with the wheelchair and within moments, they were in her car and heading back to her apartment.

Once they arrived, Cory helped Danny into the apartment before leading him to her spare room. Danny looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Why am I in your spare room? It's not like we haven't shared a bed before, _bella_?"

Cory smiled softly. "I know that, Danny, but that could lead to something you aren't ready for and I won't want to hurt you."

Danny returned her look. "Look, Cory, I appreciate you worrying about me, but I need to be able to hold you as I sleep," he admitted quietly.

Cory looked at the fear that was dancing in his eyes and acquiesced. "Okay, fine, but no funny business or you're in the spare room, young man," she said trying to break the tension.

Danny smiled gratefully and looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, Mom. I'll be a good boy."

Cory just nodded ruefully as she helped to settle him into her room.

* * *

"You got me up at stupid o clock to look at flowers?!" Taylor whined, glaring at Matt as he pulled her through the huge store lined with varying types of bouquets for all occasions. Brightly coloured flowers littered the whole place; eventually blending from one flower to another the longer they stood there.

Matt's fingers intertwined with hers as he drew her to a halt for second mid aisle.

"Taylor… I promise that after we do this I will buy you breakfast and then we and both go back to bed for as long as you want," Matt informed her, with a sly smile.

Taylor sighed as she stepped up to Matt pouting.

"You know I'm no good at this stuff right? I'm not even sure what half the names of these things are," Taylor confessed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Matt's hands smoothed down her back and rested on her hips as he looked her into her eyes.

"I can pick the flowers; I just want to make sure your happy with the choice. Hence why I dragged you along… I don't want you getting to the wedding and wondering what the hell I've picked," Matt told her.

Taylor gave him a pointed look.

"Matt… I'm marrying you because I love you, not because I admire your flower arranging skills."

"I know that," he retorted as she pulled away.

They resumed their walk throughout the rows of flowers. Taylor was fiddling with the ring on her finger, and biting her lip as if struggling with something.

"Do you ever wish you were marrying someone a little more…I guess more like you…you know more organised and normal? Someone you don't have to work so hard to be with?" Taylor questioned, not looking at Matt's face.

Matt sighed before shaking his head and stopping again. Taylor paused, her gaze on some flowers to the right of him. Matt's hands rested on her shoulders.

"Taylor…I've tried normal and it doesn't work for me. I didn't think I'd ever get married again after my divorce." Matt reached out and stroked her cheek gently with his fingertips. "And then I met you and I suddenly felt alive again, like I'd been this zombie walking around my whole life. I can't explain it." He frowned trying to think of the words. "I guess I felt whole. Like there's always been a piece of me missing and now that I met you I feel complete."

Taylor's reaction was spontaneous and nearly knocked Matt completely off his feet as she threw herself at him, her lips pressing against his in a deeply passionate kiss. Matt wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the sensation of her body against his. Taylor pulled away, her face flushed, her face inches from his.

"I love you Matt Sullivan. Now hurry up and pick the flowers so we can get back into bed."

* * *

Hawkes was striding towards me. The expression on his face was one of deep thought as he marched up to me.

"Angell has Rosa Sanchez down in custody, they just brought her in now…" he began.

I cut him off.

"Is there any sign of the baby?"

Hawkes frowned, shaking his head.

"We found an empty car seat and that was it. They pulled her over as she was pulling up to a grocery store on 75th. They're waiting for you in interrogation."

I let out a small exasperated sigh before wrapping my arms around myself.

"I'm really sorry I fell asleep in my office Hawkes, I didn't mean to leave you to do all the work," I apologized, cringing.

Hawkes gave me a small smile and held the folder out towards me.

"You weren't the only one that had a cat nap, as soon as I found out the hat was Nikki's, I hit the couch in the break room, hence why Angell found me first before she found you," Hawkes informed me as we walked slowly towards the lifts, my coffee still clutched in my hand.

"So we definitely know that the baby was in Rosa's apartment. The baby stuff in there and the DNA off the dummy puts her there within the last few days. If Brad Donahue fired her then it seems likely she snatched the baby for revenge," I remarked thoughtfully tapping the folder against my hand.

"It would make lot of sense; hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Hawkes agreed with me before drawing to a halt.

I stopped after taking a few steps and realizing that he wasn't beside me. I turned to face him, catching a glance at this troubled expression.

"Carmen… Do you mind tackling Rosa on your own? I have an errand I have to go run. Don't worry I've called Adam to cover me until I come back, I should be an hour or two tops," Hawkes expression was blank.

I could tell he was hiding something but it was none of my business and he had been very thoughtful in covering his shift with Adam's, and he'd backed me throughout this case. I nodded as I spoke.

"Is everything alright Hawkes?" I asked curious.

"Yeah its fine, I just have to do something…"

The elevator dinged behind me, I glanced over my shoulder catching sight of Adam over my shoulder. I turned back to Hawkes.

"I'll catch you later Sheldon." I said waving to him as he shot off in the direction of the locker room.

I twisted towards Adam, who was grinning from ear to ear, and looking strangely contented. I frowned, studying him for a second.

"Erm…why are you staring at me like that?" Adam asked nervously.

"You're looking strangely happy considering you've just been called in on your day off," I narrowed my eyes suspicious.

"How do you know it's not because I get to work my first kidnap case as a CSI?" Adam asked brightly.

"You're far too cheerful for this time in the morning," I groaned, as I handed the file to Adam.

"That's because someone hasn't had enough coffee to start their day yet." Adam pointed out, handing the file back to me.

"Hawkes has already filled me in on the case," he told me with a small smile.

I stared at him surprised. Adam slipped an arm around my shoulders before guiding me back towards the elevators.

"How about I get you more coffee, while you go scare the hell out of the nanny?" he offered.

"I look that bad huh?" I returned, rising my eyebrows.

"You can tell you haven't slept in 24 hours." Adam confirmed, pushing me into the lift.

I rolled my eyes muttering the word "great" under my breath as Adam gave me a happy finger wave.

* * *

_**It is updating time! I hope you enjoy it! I am pretty tired at the min and I have a deadline on Thurs so updating will be after then. (I say that lol) I also have now broken the toaster with the power of my bagel, so I have to buy a new one. And I'm over the 500 reviews mark! High Five!**_

_**As usual I am shamelessly plugging **__Gotham's Heroes (featuring Carmen, Cory and Taylor) __**and **__What If's. (What would have happened if this story had gone the way my muse wanted.) __**So read them, they are both co written and you'll like them!**_

_Maddy Bellows: lol maybe Hawkes finds a nice lady friend soon. I would also wet myself in Gus's integration. I always feel awkward doing the interrogation scenes. Lol those two are on fire, they write themselves and everyone loves them!_

_Mauveine: lol I used to have a real issue writing Hawkes and Adam, but now they've decided to come out and play! I seriously love Adam and at some point you will learn that there's more to Hawkes than meets the eye._

_Blue: The case goes out with a bang I tell ya! Lol I want Chinese food now! Seriously the two of them are just easy and fun to write._

_Sparky: lol is that because you know the surprise I have in store, to be honest I'll be glad when its' over and done with but its given me time to play with other chars._

_Daisy: lol they are very both strong willed. It will be hilarious fun! There's a lot more to Sinclair I think he can understand that Carmen would risk everything to protect the lab and that's why he agrees. _

_JoanneF: There are a few bumps in the road along the way, you'll see!_

_Lapland: lol you'll have to see what happens, I have to say it will shock you._

_Princess: Welcome it's nice to meet you! I'm blushing at Kris singing my praises and at your kind words. Thank you so much. I can't believe you read it all in four days. Lol I loved writing Adam and Gus because they are so fun and easy to write and I adore the Lucie storyline, trust me I'll have fun with that. Thanks for the review and I hope you keep enjoying this._


	95. Chapter 95: Forever The Cynic

**AN: _This chapter introduces Browneyesgirl's OC, Samatha Ross from "Memoires of Brooklyn"_**

Chapter Ninety Five

_Why do you waste my time?  
Is the answer to the question on your mind  
And I'm sick of all my judges  
so scared of what they'll find  
But I know that I can make it  
As long as somebody takes me home,  
every now and then..._

_The Killers – Sam's Town_

The woman in front of me was a slim Hispanic woman, her dark curly hair was clipped back away from her face. She was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, her lips pursed tightly together.

"We know the kid was in your apartment Rosa. We have all the evidence we need to convict you of a kidnapping charge; if we don't find that baby you're going down for murder one. So it's probably for the best that you start talking," I growled, leaning over the other woman.

Rosa said nothing, her lips clamped firmly closed a she studied her finger nails.

"Well, let me tell you what I think happened," I began, pacing in front of the table.

Rosa's eyes rose to watch as I did it.

"I think that after Brad fired you, you were furious. I mean you wasted six months of your time on the guy, he bought you fancy gifts for you and everything and then suddenly out of nowhere you were fired, just like that. Thrown away like a discarded toy. It must have hurt," I paused and turned my body to face her gauging her reaction.

Rosa let out a sigh, her hands clasped together on the table top.

"So you thought you'd hurt him back by taking his baby. You had a key copied before you turned over the first set. Then you snuck into the house and took the baby back to your apartment, where you and your sister looked after the kid. We found the magazine you used to cut out the letters in the trash; they had your fingerprints on them. How'd you decide a million dollars was worth a child's life huh? The Donahue's could have paid you twice as much as that and you know it…"

"It was how much I thought I deserved," Rosa interrupted quietly.

I frowned, waiting for her to go on. Rosa's eyes rose to meet mine as I crossed my arms over my chest and watched her intently.

"This was never about Nikki. I loved that little girl. Brad fired me with no notice , I was going to have trouble keeping up the rent and he didn't even care, so I thought if I took the baby I'd get what was coming to me, compensation for what he did to me. I didn't think they would go to the police because of all the scandal it would cause."

"Tough luck for you huh? Where's the baby?" I kept right on with my main priority.

Rosa's hands swept through her long dark hair in agitation.

"That's the thing I don't know. This was supposed to go smoothly. I was going to give Nikki back as soon as we had the money, but Mari started getting attached to her, she started calling Nikki her baby. We had a big fight last night, she wanted to keep the baby and I told her we had to give her back. I stormed out to cool off and when I came back she was gone. So was Nikki and the diaper bag, and a few of Nikki's clothes and food. I've been driving around all night looking for them but I can't find them."

I took a deep breath trying to take this all in.

"Your sister was involved in a car crash a few months ago wasn't she?" I remembered from the folder Hawkes had handed me.

"Yeah, she moved in with me so I could take care of her." Rosa nodded, looking down sadly. "Her baby was killed in the crash; the poor thing didn't stand chance."

"I know you've spent all night looking but is there anywhere you can think of that may help us track Mari down? This is important Rosa," I clarified.

Rosa rubbed at her eyes with the palm of her hands.

"I've tried looking everywhere. I've been trying to find the place she does her rooftop drawings because she's an artists but it's impossible. There's so many freaking rooftops in Manhattan," Rosa's head was in her hands as she spoke.

"Are the pictures in your apartment painted by Mari?" I asked thoughtfully.

Rosa's head darted up, her gaze meeting mine.

"Yes, they're all her paintings," Rosa replied.

I turned my back on Rosa heading towards the door.

"If you find my sister… please don't hurt her… she's not well," Rosa called after me.

I glanced at the other woman over my shoulder, my expression sympathetic.

"I'll do my best," I promised her before stepping out into the corridor and taking a deep breath.

The puzzle pieces were fitting into my head; I had an idea how to find Mari and the baby. I ran my hands over my face trying to wipe away the exhaustion that was setting in.

"Well that was endearing," I turned my head surprised as Gerrard stepped out of the observation room, a smug smile etched on his face.

I felt my temper bite as his eyes fell scornfully on me.

"You on the clock?" I asked calmly, folding my arms over my chest.

Gerrard frowned shaking his head, clearly confused by my question. I checked my watch.

"Good and neither am I for the next fifteen minutes." I paused, giving him a pointed look. "Get your nose out of this investigation and keep it out Gerrard, I know your waiting for me to fall flat on my face so you can take over and run the crime lab like some criminal master mind, but I ain't gonna let that happen," I told him flatly, my hands on my hips, squaring up to him.

Gerrard stared at me surprised before his face contorted I kept my expression cold and calm, his finger jabbing at me.

"How dare you speak to…" Gerrard began, I cut him off.

"Cut the shit Gerrard. We're both off the clock and we are both civilians, so you can do nothing to me for another…" I checked my watch. "Ten minutes… I get it you don't like me, you think I'm arrogant and disrespectful. But that's okay because I don't like you either. I think you're an egotistical, power grabbing son of a bitch with a grudge against Mac Taylor and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you do not lay a finger on that Lab. You got that?"

Gerrard's eyes narrowed, as he looked down at me, his eyes studying me intently.

"You really are his protégé. I'd watch your back Devine, Taylor's not gonna have it forever and all it takes is one little screw up and when it happens I'll be the one to personally take away your badge."

"Not if I get yours first and as far as I'm concerned, you're one up on making mistakes aren't you? As it turns out Mac needed a little help going through and finding those files and it happened to be me who stumbled across your little belt incident with Dobson. I'm warning you, don't underestimate me Gerrard, or I swear you'll live to regret it."

With that I spun on my heel and strode confidently towards the set of double doors ahead of me, leaving Gerrard in a stunned silence.

* * *

Flack yawned before stretching his arms out to ease the tension in his body. He was two minutes from getting off shift when a shadow fell across his desk.

"And here's me thinking that all you Detectives did in the NYPD was work, work work." Flack raised his eyes, a wide smile breaking across his face as he jumped to his feet.

"Samantha Ross, well isn't this a pint sized surprise," he joked his eyes taking in the small, but fierce woman in front of him.

Adam Ross's sister was a force to be reckoned with. Despite her petite frame, the tiny CSI from Arizona could kick ass just as well as any of the male detectives in the NYPD, probably better. She was a brunette, her long sultry hair stopping just above her ass. Her golden eyes taking in the hustle and bustle of the bull pen as the other male detectives pretended not to stare at the hot young thing that was now perching herself on the edge of Flack's desk.

"Watch it Flack, you know I'll kick your ass," she reminded him, picking up his pen and twirling it between her fingers.

Flack held his hands up in mock surrender before grabbing his suit jacket off the back of the chair.

"I hear Carmen's just got a break in a kidnap case, I was hoping to grab her for lunch or something, but I guess it'll have to be dinner and drinks instead," Sam informed Flack, pushing the hair out of her face.

"Aw Ross, you gonna keep my wife out all night again?" Flack pouted playfully, gathering up his keys off the desk.

"It's the only bit of fun she gets being married to you," Sam shot back.

Flack put a hand to his chest sulkily.

"How can such a little thing wound me so much?" he teased. Sam slapped at his arm, rolling her eyes as she began to follow him towards double doors of the precinct.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"I am going to pick up my son and take him to the park," he told her as they strolled side by side. "I don't know where you're going."

"I am tagging along; you know you might need back up or something." Flack snorted at her words.

"You couldn't take down a cardboard cut out, let alone a genuine perp," Flack retorted.

"How mad do you think Carmen would be if she came home and found you handcuffed to sink?" Sam asked half serious.

"You're funny for a kid…. Ouch… shit... You punch like a man," Flack cursed as Sam hit him with her closed fist in the arm.

"Did you forget who my daddy was?" Sam asked pointedly.

"Remind me never to make you mad again, Mike Tyson." Flack winced rubbing his arm watching as Sam paused and turned to the young Detective who was not so discreetly checking out her ass.

"Do me a favour guys and quit checking out my ass, it makes the NYPD look like a bunch of sex crazed morons who get their jollies off harassing sweet young things like me." And with a wink she was out the door that Flack was holding open for her, the bull pen silent for the first time since 9/11.

* * *

Gus watched, with a small smile on her face from the open doorway of the AV Lab as Adam bobbed his head to the music in his head phones. His fingers moving quickly and skilfully over the key board as he concentrated on the screen in front of him.

Memories from last night and the early hours of this morning were playing in her mind, making her shiver at the thought of his hands on her, his lips caressing hers. Gus found herself blushing, they hadn't got much time to talk this morning.

Adam had been called in at seven to cover Hawkes' shift, leaving very little time for anything but him to take a swig of coffee and telling her she could stay as long as she wanted before he was out the door.

Much to her surprise she hadn't felt awkward or alarmed when she woke up this morning next to one of her closest friends. She'd felt warm and contented, and that scared her even more than the awkwardness she usually got after a one night stand. She wasn't used to feeling close to people, at least not in a romantic sense, but somehow Adam had charmed her, she felt good with him and there was something different from anything she'd previously experienced.

Gus brushed some of her blond hair back behind her ear before stepping into the AV Lab and gently touching Adam's shoulder to alert him to her presence. Adam flinched before Gus pulled her hand away mentally kicking herself.

"Sorry I didn't mean to…" she began as Adam took off his head phones carefully and set them on his lap.

"Don't worry it happens," Adam assured her with a flush on his cheeks.

"Erm… I was coming to ask if you wanted to grab lunch or something?" Gus asked anxiously, holding her bag in front of her with both hands.

Adam's eyes flickered back onto the screen as she spoke. He bit his lip and Gus realized she'd made a terrible mistake. He was trying to figure out way to let her down.

"Well… hey… no hard feelings… I better…you know I have stuff to do," Gus spluttered, a blush climbing her cheeks as she tried to back away.

"Hm?" Adam shook his head for a second reverting his attention back to Gus as her words sunk in. By then, she was already halfway to the door.

Adam was on his feet after her, realizing she was mistaking his concentration for rejection.

"Gus wait…" His hand caught hold of her wrist, and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

He couldn't stand it; he couldn't stand the pain in her eyes or the betrayed expression on her face, so he kissed her. His lips brushed hers with a gentleness that Gus didn't know a man could possess. It was short and sweet. Gus's face was cradled in his hands, his forehead resting against hers, as his fingers traced her face.

"We didn't get a chance to talk this morning," he murmured.

Gus flushed red, feeling dumb and pursing her lips before they pulled away from each other.

"No, we didn't," she returned quietly, raising her head to meet his beautiful blue eyes.

Adam rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I was erm… concentrating on trying to triangulate the buildings for Carmen's kidnap case… I wasn't really listening to what you were saying," he confessed, pulling a face.

Gus found herself grinning feeling silly.

"Yeah I get that now," she said toying with the straps on her leather bag.

"So…" Adam began, trying to remember why she was here in the first place.

To be honest he couldn't keep his eyes off her and that tight v-neck blouse she was wearing was adding to his distraction.

"So I was thinking lunch… the two of us… having some… together," Gus implored.

Adam looked conflicted for a second; he glanced at her and then the computer and then back at her again, biting his lip at the same time.

"Or how about dinner?" she offered.

Adam nodded vigorously and pointed at her, smiling.

"Dinner I can do," he told her.

"Okay, so I'll meet you here when your shift finishes," Gus told him, feeling a bright smile curve across her face.

Adam stepped forward, taking her hands in his.

"I would love that," he told her sincerely.

Gus felt herself blush at the honesty she saw in his eyes. The two of them jumped apart as Gus spied Mac, stepping out of his office, his eyes intent on the file in front of him.

"So the break room, seven thirty, don't be late," Gus said, pointedly as she moved towards the door.

"I'll try," Adam called after her before dropping into his chair a huge grin on his face and a feeling of utter bliss swelling in his chest.

* * *

_**Woot! new chapter since the last one got such a huge response! I made a little mistake with my deadline it's on Mon instead of tomorrow so I get a little time to do stuff. Yay! Plus guess whose going to a Salsa Party tonight?!**_

_**Plugging again and I hope you read Spaxaph's **__Gotham's Heroes __**and mine and Maddy's **__What Ifs__**. Both are fab stories!**_

_Princess G: lol we won't see what Sheldon's hiding for quite a while yet, but I'm sure I'll throw in some hints. I'm not sure how it's going to get revealed either but I have a few idea to play with. lol I love Gus and Adam myself they are the most popular pairing at the min. I'm not sure how Flack will take the news I think he'll prob click on that Gus is dating but she refuses to tell him since he ran her last date through the system and I think Carmen will catch on and refuse to tell him for not doing the system thing after she told him not to._

_Maddy: I wish I had a Flack to take care of me. Lol you won't get to see Hawkes secret to later on! Around the time of the ball I think. I love Matt in this one because he's so sweet and loving; him and Tay are a fab couple!_

_Katydid: I'm glad you liked it, how's your own story coming along. There's a big shock at the end of 96._

_Bluehaven: Chapter 96 is gonna be the shocker so far. Lol I'll bring it! He's so sweet and loving, and he's thinking of his family. He knows she's under a lot of stress right now hence why he's trying to make it easier. I'm practically inhaling those cookies lol. I love adding what everyone else is doing, it makes the focus broader._

_ForestAngel: lol As I said you won't find out what Hawkes secret is for a while but there will be hints. It's nothing bad so don't worry._

_Mauveine: lol he is so fab and so cute and him and Gus just seem to be the ideal couple. I kinda wish she was actually in the show just to see him get some love!_

_Daisy: I always had a problem writing hawks because I felt there wasn't enough depth to his character, but then I threw in a little background of my own and suddenly he's alive and kicking. It's scary but cool too! He's suddenly become a live as a char for me._

_Browneyedgirl: He is so huggable! I love your Speed and Carm pairing I never would have thought of that ever but they go so well together. Lol I am becoming a fan of Hawkes._

_JoanneF: they need a little tie together esp when it comes to as something as stressful as this case. Let's hope they get a longer moment in the future. Well Sheldon has a big secret._

_Lapland: lol Carmen without coffee is scary as hell. Adam is so sweet. I have been eating choc croissants over the past few days I love them too! As for Hawkes its gonna be a while before you find out Hawkes secret._

_Sparky: Actually I've been wondering about when to slip one in, you've red my mind I think in 101 she's gonna have one, just trying to figure out what order they should go in. lol I love Adam so much and the pairing is everyone's fave._


	96. Chapter 96: All Fall Down

Chapter Ninety Six

_So let Mercy Come  
And Wash Away  
What I've Done_

_I'll face myself  
To Cross out what I've Become  
Erase Myself  
And let Go of What I've done_

_Linkin Park – What I've Done_

"Adam, please tell me you have some good news," I groaned as I swept into the AV Lab, holding my pager in my hand.

"I think I got our location," he told me getting the painting he had analysed on the screen in front of us.

"See here, I managed to use these two buildings as reference points and I found the neighbourhood, and after a little tweaking I found the building." He handed me a piece of paper with the address written on it.

"You are a life saver," I told him, hearing the door to the AV lab open again behind me, I twirled to see Hawkes leaning in it.

"What did I miss?" he asked, clipping his gun back to his trousers.

"Adam managed to get us a possible location on the baby," I told him, feeling hopeful.

"How do you want to play this?" Hawkes asked me crossing his arms over his chest.

"Grab Angell and a few uniforms and we'll raid the place. Mari isn't dangerous to anyone but herself and the baby as far as I can tell. She just wants her child back and she's convinced herself that Nikki is it," I told Hawkes who nodded his agreement, before taking off down the hallway.

I glanced over my shoulder at Adam who was checking his watch.

"You wanna come along?" I offered with s small smile.

"Do you mind if I take a rain check?" he asked looking anxious.

"Of course it's your day off today; feel free to enjoy the rest of it," I reassured him.

Adam stood up gathering his Ipod up a long with several other things. I stood there watching him, fiddling with my wedding ring.

"Thanks for doing this Adam, I really appreciate you coming in and helping me out," I told him honestly.

Adam looked up, a cute grin spreading across his features.

"Anything for the future head of the Crime lab." He saluted.

I felt myself blush before rolling my eyes at him, as my pager went off again.

* * *

Cory was sitting in her living room, trolling through all of the financial records that she had on Garvey, while listening to the soundtrack to _Pure Country_.

Danny walked out of the bedroom, and stood in the hallway just watching her work. Finally, he walked slowly into the living room until he settled carefully into a chair. "_Bella?_ I thought you didn't like country music?" he asked in amusement.

Cory raised her head up and smiled. "As a rule, no, but there are some country songs that I like and this happens to be some of them. Plus, it puts me in a good mood and seems to help my concentration," she said, leaning back into the couch and stretching her back muscles.

"Any luck?" Danny asked gesturing to her laptop.

Cory sighed. "I'm getting close," she said as she leaned back towards the computer and clicked on a few more files.

Danny smiled as he flicked on the TV to see if he could find a game on.

Thirty minutes later, Cory was looking at her computer stunned. "I can't believe that I've been such an idiot! It was staring me right in the face," Cory exclaimed as she jumped up, grabbing her purse and gun. "I've gotta run. You going to be okay here?"

Danny smiled. "I'll be fine, Cory. Go catch your bad guy."

Cory nodded as she dialled her second in charge. "Lydia, it's Cory. I've gotta lead on Garvey. Pull everyone together. I want to hit her now before she leaves."

Once off the phone, she made another call.

"_Flack."_

"Flack, it's Cory. I've gotta a lead on Garvey, but if we don't hit her right now, we're going to lose her. Wanna join to the party?"

On the end of the line, Flack grinned as he looked over at Sam and Thomas. _"As much as I'd love to, I'm in the middle of something. How 'bout I meet you at the station once you collar her."_

"All right. I hope I catch her because I think she's planning on skipping town. I'll call you if anything changes," Cory replied before sliding into her car and heading towards her building.

An hour later, Cory and Lydia were standing out side of the abandoned restaurant. "I can't believe that I didn't think of this before!" Cory exclaimed.

Lydia just laughed. "Cory? You're boyfriend was in the hospital. It's understandable that you weren't on your game."

"I know, but it's so obvious. She has no imagination."

Lydia laughed as she looked at the boarded up building. "So, tell me again how you found her?"

Cory smiled. "When I was researching her tax returns a couple years back, looking for anything amiss, I ran across this restaurant that she bought. It didn't do very well and closed after only a couple of months. I never could figure out why she kept the property. But, I just realized that it had an apartment over it. I'm willing to bet my Beamer that she kept it as a bolt hole."

Lydia just shook her head as they did the final checks. "I'm ready? You?"

Cory nodded and quickly drew the team together. "All right, y'all. Garvey is probably armed, but I want to do this as peacefully as possible. Everyone know their positions?" At the team's nods, Cory and Lydia walked towards the building.

Within minutes, they were sneaking up the stairs and soon, were at the door. Cory nodded as Lydia took her position on the left side of the door. Cory stood to the right and raised her hand to pound on the piece of wood. "Lucinda Garvey! FBI! We have a warrant for your arrest!"

Both agents heard sounds of movement on the other side of the door, but it stayed firmly shut. Cory looked at Agent Howard and said, "Kick it."

He quickly complied and soon the door was hanging on it's hinges. Cory followed Lydia in and was surprised to see Garvey draped calmly on a chaise, dressed in a suggestive dress. Cory looked at Garvey as her faced dropped at the sight of Cory and Lydia.

Cory cocked her head to the side, studying the obvious antique, covered in white fabric with floral accents carved into the wood. "Louis XV, right?" She grinned as she stared into the shocked woman's face. "You expecting Flack?"

Garvey composed herself quickly. "Agent Reid, I presume?" she asked dryly.

Cory smiled. "In the flesh," Cory said as she pulled her handcuffs out. "Lucinda Garvey, you are under arrest for the murder of Molly Barbra," she started before she began spouting out the Miranda Rights while walking her towards the door.

* * *

Sam was sitting on the bench next to the swings watching as Flack pushed Thomas in the swing set. The toddler's fists were balled up as he shrieked with happiness. Flack was grinning at his son's cries of joy. He was a good father, no doubt about it. The adoration for his son was clear in his eyes as was his love for Carmen.

Sam tilted her head back, basking in the warmth of the sun remembering the first time she'd met the couple. Two years back, she'd flown to New York to celebrate Adam's birthday, a bunch of work colleagues had surprised him with a birthday meal. Adam had dragged Sam along. At first she'd found herself overwhelmed by all the different boisterous personalities around the table, but as the night progressed she found herself forgetting her awkwardness and falling into the comfortable atmosphere.

That was how she met Carmen, she was seated next to the red head and the moment they'd began to chat, the pair of them clicked instantly. They spent the majority of the night regaling each other with stories of the field and comparing note on dumb ass perps. By the end of the night Sam was content in the fact she'd made a friend, and was even happier when Carmen called her to go for coffee the next day.

Since then, the two girls had kept in contact through emails and phone calls until Sam flew up again for another occasion and then the girls would be inseparable until she returned back to Arizona. Sam had to admit she was happy when she was in New York; Carmen was the closest thing she'd had to a best friend in years. She found herself confiding things in the other woman that she had told no one else.

In return, Carmen gave her the understanding and resolution that she knew she would never get from her relationship with Zach, but that was okay because at least there was still someone else who understood, someone else who had her back, despite the fact they lived in another state.

She'd thought about moving to New York; she'd actually broached the subject with Zack once, but it became apparent there wasn't a chance in hell that Zach would ever consider moving here.

Sam could hardly believe it when Carmen had called her up two months ago in tears saying she thought her and Flack were going to divorce. Sam had never met a couple more able to go the distance than Carmen and Don, she was glad they'd worked it out. They at least deserved a happy ending.

Sam had to admit she was a little jealous, it was clear that Carmen and Flack were destined for each other. One supporting the other, the responsibility was always shared. Despite the fact she was engaged she still found herself longing for something like that a partnership rather than her just being there for Zach when he needed it.

Sam's golden eyes trailed down to the sparkling ring on her own finger, Flack had already commented on it stating how it must have cost Zach an arm and a leg. She'd never thought she' be one to get married, the abuse she'd suffered as a child made her shunt attention given to her by anyone. She didn't feel she deserved to be loved but she knew she didn't want to die alone.

Despite Zach's misgivings she thought he could change. Even now she wasn't sure the marriage was a good idea but as far as she was concerned he was the only person who would have her, her only shot at happiness.

"You look deep in thought." She heard Flack say as he dropped down next to her.

Sam raised her head to see him grinning and holding out mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. She thanked him before taking it from his hands. Her eyes strayed to Thomas on the grass next to Flack's feet, licking his lemon snow cone vigorously. She retuned her gaze to Flack, who was studying her through the shade of his sun glasses, devouring his own strawberry ice cream cone.

"What?" she asked, diverting her attention to her own frozen treat.

"As I said you look thoughtful," Flack remarked.

Sam shrugged.

"I have a whole itinerary of things to do before the wedding; of course I'm going to be thoughtful," Sam stated.

"Carmen's going to be disappointed we can't make it. I'm sorry Sam," Flack told her honestly.

"Hey, it's not a problem, it's not everyday you get asked to run a crime lab, I'm proud of her," Sam told Flack beaming.

"I think she'll be glad to hear it. Your opinion means a lot to her. It's gonna be tough, but I know she'll handle it," Flack confided in Sam, before changing the subject. "So are you nervous about the wedding?"

Sam tilted her head from side to side thoughtfully.

"I guess… but that's completely normal right?" she asked Flack feeling slightly paranoid.

"Hell yeah, giving up you freedom for the rest of your life it's a scary prospect, but when your in love with someone your pretty much prepared to do that from the onset," Flack informed her.

Sam contemplated this.

"So what's this Zach guy like? He treat you good?" Flack asked, taking bite out of his cone.

Sam gave him a thin smile before eating some of the ice cream off the cone.

"Carmen not told you anything about him?" Sam questioned, focusing on her ice cream cone.

"She's mentioned him," Flack stated diplomatically.

Sam knew that Carmen was not a fan of Zack at all, so she appreciated Flack's wording.

"He treats me fine, he's a state trooper, so he's as good as it gets," Sam told him, stating it as if it was matter of fact.

Flack nodded his response, opening his mouth to say something else. He was cut off by the shrill whistle of his cell phone. He checked the caller I.D before pulling an apologetic face at Sam.

"Take it," she urged. "I'll keep an eye on the monster here," she told him, nodding in Thomas's direction.

The child was now covered in the sticky yellow substance from his snow cone and was trying to rub his eyes wearily.

"Thanks." Flack stood up and walked a few steps away to answer his phone. Sam delved in her bag, pulling out a pack of tissues she kept handy. She reached down and pulled the small child into her lap, before handing him a tissue to play with while she went to work cleaning his face.

"You can keep him if you want free of charge," Flack teased as he stepped towards her, slipping his cell into his back pocket.

"Na, this cutie pie's all yours," she said handing Thomas back to Flack.

Thomas yawned sleepily as Flack held the little boy close against his chest. Sam gathered the rest of their belongings.

"You get called in?" Sam asked following Flack back towards the car.

"My friend Cory, has spent the last few days trying to track down the Mob Boss that got away, she's finally got a lead. It's been a long time coming. I'll drop you back at Adam's before I take this little guy to Mom and Dad's and the hit the station house," Flack told her as she opened one of the back doors of the SUV to help Flack with Thomas.

"That would be great thanks," Sam replied as she watched Flack put Thomas into the car seat and secured the straps.

He straightened up closing the car door gently before they both moved towards the front of the car and began their journey.

* * *

We were positioned outside the door that led to the rooftop. Angell, Hawkes and I had our guns out and were standing on the opposite side of the wall from the burly uniformed cops.

"You ready?" I asked them.

There were nods from around the tiny corridor as I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"The priority is the baby; I want this as clean as possible," I informed the group, before turning to the uniform next to me.

"Kick it!" I ordered.

It took one kick for the uniform to snap the lock clean off and the door to swing open. I was through the door in an instant, gun pointed at the figure running towards the ledge at the other side of the roof top, a squirming bundle clutched tightly in her arms.

"Mari, wait!" I screamed.

I was sprinting after her, the wind ripping at my hair. I was five feet away when Mari climbed onto that ledge, Nikki Donahue clutched so tightly to her that the child started to wail in the wind. I holstered my weapon and took a step forward, my hand outstretched.

I knew the others were two steps behind me, their eyes intent on the scene not knowing what to do.

"Mari please… I know you don't want to do this," I implored as Mari, glanced over the edge.

I saw the panic on her face, the fear, the grief, the tears streaming down her face as she hugged Nikki tighter, her foot getting closer to the edge. Mari's eyes were on me now as I inched closer.

"You don't want to hurt Nikki, I understand that you think she's your child, but she's not. I think deep down inside you know that," I pleaded over the wind.

"You don't know what it's like…" Mari called out blinking rapidly and looking down at the child wriggling in her arms.

"My son was almost killed in an explosion Mari, I know what it's like to feel the way your feeling. It makes you feel sick, you start wondering what you could have done…" I tried sympathising.

"I just want it to stop… I just want the pain to go away." Mari's dark eyes bore into mine, and I saw the desperation in them as her heel backed to the edge of the ledge.

I felt my chest go tight.

"Give me the baby Mari!" I demanded, taking step forward, arms reaching out to the other woman.

Mari stared at me.

"Nikki isn't your child; look at her, look at her!" Mari did as I told her to. "She's someone else's baby, her family love her and their worried sick for her, please hand her to me. I know you didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!" I told her stepping even closer.

Tears were rushing down Mari's cheeks as she stretched out her hands, the baby squirming in them. I reached out taking the child from her, relief bubbling inside me as I held the baby close to my body. Angell swept past me as I turned to Hawkes handing him the child.

I swung back to face Mari, ready to talk her down.

"Angell… No…" the words were already out of my mouth, clear and loud at sight in front of me.

Angell was already on the ledge her hands gripping Mari's arms to pull her off the ledge. Mari was resisting. She wanted to jump and Angell was trying to stop her.

The next few seconds went by in slow motion; Mari tried to shove Angell away from her back onto the roof. Angell's hands were fixed firmly under Mari's elbows. She swayed trying to regain her balance; Mari was trying to wrench herself away from the dark haired detective. Angell's grip on Mari loosened. Mari took a chance and jumped.

I screamed bolting forward and reaching for Angell, my fingers slipping off her leather jacket as she stumbled backwards, hanging there for a second.

The breath caught in my throat as her eyes met mine, and then she was gone. Out of my grasp and over the edge.

The breath rushed out of me, as I stood frozen staring at where Angell had been standing. My hands went to my face, my whole body shaking. I couldn't breath. My knees buckled, my hands covering my face trying to block out the terror on Angell's face.

In the distance I could hear someone screaming, it took me a few minutes to realize that it was me.

* * *

_**And who wants to murder me first?! It was never my intention to kill Angell, but whilst writing it my muse got out of control and this is part of the result. So R&R and let me know what you think.**_

_**Plugging lots today:- Spaxaph's "Gotham's Heroes", Maddy and mine's collaboration "What If's" and my new Miami story "Finding Kate."**_

_Mauveine: lol I wanted her to kick him in the shin as well but it was deemed to childish. I really wanted to show that her and Gerrard had an issue with each other and they are both aware of it. Sam's gonna be flickering in and out for a while but she takes a bigger role later. I don't blame you I have so many OCs running around it's completely understandable. Lol Gus and Adam are really popular and I am so glad! They have their own chapter in ch100._

_Lapland: lol I really wish she could have, as the story progresses it'll become apparent that she really likes pissing him off and hence that makes him more spiteful towards her and the lab. Sam is getting around, but it's nice to see her in a different setting. I love Sam, and I love writing her little bits she makes things humorous. Lol sorry you say you'll be waiting a while for Hawkes secret but you'll have plenty of other stuff to keep you occupied._

_Daisy: I connected you so feel free to send stuff over. I think I explained the ff the clock thing in a review reply. Lol I got loads more coming up. Thanks for thee review._

_Princess: lol when you do that impatient thing I actually make me wanna put one up quicker! Gus and Adam get a whole chapter to themselves when Gus has to stop Adam making some mischief!_

_Sparkycsi: lol I wanted her to kick Gerrard's ass but literally kicking him is wrong apparently! Lol hat's the way I can see Gus being, it's a new thing with one of her friends so she's bound to be nervous. Lol That kind of sums up Sam! Lol I have another idea I may share later!_

_Maddy: lol there's only so far she can push him and since their both stepping on each other's personal grievances he won't pull her up on it. So it's a perfect balance, she knows how much she can get away with. lol It was the only way I could write Sam and Flack's relationship otherwise I'd have them hooking up lol. Lol Gus and Adam are so popular! I think you should write them a fic! Lol I know how you feel about the ff v real life._

_Browneyedgirl: lol I know poor them! I loved writing her tearing him a new one, he well deserved it!_

_Bad: Not a prob I know how real life gets in the way, I would be the same! Lol Gus and Adam are an unusual pairing but they work amazingly! It's spreading across the boards lol._


	97. Chapter 97: Slipping Away

Chapter Ninety Seven

_Oh it's so sad_

I hope you can hear me  
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found  
It won't be the same

_Avril Lavigne – Slipped Away_

Cory walked into the station house feeling triumphant. She strolled through the doors, her hand in a tight grip on Lucinda's upper arm, leading her towards interrogation.

After leaving her there, under the watch of Lydia and Agent Howard, she strolled into the pit, the grin on her face reminiscent of the Cheshire cat. She finally reached Flack's desk. "Hey, Flack. You know, I realized something today. I totally forgot your birthday last year!"

Flack looked up at her, a smile already twitching on her lips. "I noticed and I'm hurt. Here I thought we were friends," he returned.

Cory smiled and giggled before getting up and starting towards interrogation. "So," she called over her shoulder, "I felt so bad, that I just had to get you a present. But, unfortunately I didn't have time to wrap it."

Flack smiled as they opened the door before quipping, "Aw, Cory, you didn't have to go to such extravagance…" He trailed off as his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and quickly answered it. "Flack?"

Cory watched the emotions play on his face, seeing the blood drain away. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly as she followed Flack as he stepped out of interrogation ad closed the door behind them.

"I'll be right there," Flack uttered in shock before turning to Cory. "I've gotta go."

Cory cringed at the underlying panic in his voice and put her hand on his arm. "Don? What's wrong?"

Flack shook his head. "Carmen and Angell were at a scene and I don't know exactly what happened, but Angell is dead and Carmen's in shock. Can you handle Garvey?"

Cory nodded quickly. "Of course. Go and please, let me know what happened," Cory said quickly as Flack turned to rush to the Lab.

* * *

Her eyes were on mine, her hand outstretched as it slipped from my grasp. The look on her face…

I felt fresh tears beginning to build up inside me as I choked back the guilt clawing at me. I swallowed hard, wiping furiously at the tears on my cheeks before looking down at my quivering hands. They hadn't stopped shaking since she'd fallen.

I clutched the blanket Hawkes had draped around my shoulders tightly around myself, closing my eyes tightly and seeing her face again, her eyes wide and so frightened.

_It wasn't your fault._

Mac's words were ringing in my ears, as I rocked back and forth, biting my lip. How true was that? I could have moved quicker, I could have stopped Angell…

Mac was locked in his office with Gerrard and Sinclair, who'd come storming in moments after we'd arrive back. Hawkes had walked me to the break room, trying to treat me for shock once we arrived. His voice was soothing and calm and had been the only thing keeping me together from the scene back to the lab. IAB had hauled him into an interview room not long after, returning to drag me off to sit in this one alone, a uniform outside guarding the door to the interrogation room.

I knew Stella was battling with IAB, despite the fact I'd already been interviewed, they'd left me here, still in state of shock, wide eyed and unable to get the images out of my head.

There was a commotion outside the door and the sound of raised voices, male and female echoed through the clinical room, couldn't hear the words. I didn't even try to listen. The numbness was setting in again, and everything was beginning to feel dull and surreal.

The door of the interrogation room burst open. I barely moved my head to look who it was barrelling through.

The female voice was still screaming and yelling; it was feeding into the room through the open door.

Strong arms wrapped around me tightly, warm, familiar and loving. His hands were gentle and soft pushing back my hair so he could catch a glimpse of my face. His own grim, his lips pursed together as he cradled my face in his hands, his stunning blue eyes studying me.

"Carmen it's me…I'm so sorry Princess…" he whispered.

Flack pulled me close, kissing my hair and murmured words… telling me it wasn't my fault, I couldn't have saved her…I pulled away from him, feeling nothing and somewhere deep inside me that scared me. I was rising to my feet and so was Flack.

"Can I go home now?" I said quietly.

Flack's hand was rubbing my back, trying to sooth me and all I wanted was a drink to drown out everything I knew I was supposed to be feeling. He owned his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of The Chief of Detectives.

I could see the fury etched into Gerrard's face and I found myself unable to care.

"Detective Flack, I told you were not allowed near her…" Gerrard began.

"She's my wife," Flack seethed. "And she's in shock."

"I have one dead detective…Devine where do you think your going?!" I was taking small steps past Gerrard and towards the open door.

"Home," I uttered.

"You step out that door and your finished Devine; I swear to god I will have your badge…" I paused next to him, slipping my badge off the hem of my trousers and slapping it into his open palm.

"Here, take it," I said quietly, before stepping through the threshold and into the corridor.

"Carmen, thank God!" Sam rushed towards me, her eyes taking in my posture and the expression on my face.

"Sam?" I blinked trying to clear my head.

A hand clasped on my shoulder.

"Princess?"

I twisted my head to see Flack's startling blue eyes boring into me, his expression one of sheer disbelief.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but no words escaped my lips. Angell's face was in my head again and I felt my throat constrict.

"She just handed her badge to Gerrard," Flack told Sam over my head.

Sam's arm went around my shoulders; her small hand took mine and squeezed it tightly. I closed my eyes, pursing my lips together trying to get it back together again. Sam smoothed the hair away from my face and behind me ear.

"She's still in shock, she's not thinking straight. Do you think you can fix this?" Sam asked Flack.

I could hear the fear in her voice, she thought I was throwing everything away, but she didn't understand…

"I… Maybe … I don't know… I just…" I could hear the conflict and sorrow in Flack's voice and I couldn't force myself to even think about it.

"I just want to go home," I said in a small voice.

"Carmen, do you know what you just did?" Flack asked his voice pleading.

"I don't care; I just want to go home," I told him stoically, my arms wrapped around myself.

I caught the helpless expression in Flack's face but I didn't care anymore. I couldn't feel anything.

"I'll take her home," Sam told Flack gently. "You try and smooth this out, talk to Mac…I'll take care of her."

Flack caught my arm as Sam began to guide me down the corridor.

"Carmen…" His concerned gaze met my vacant one as I cut him off.

"Don't tell me it's not my fault," I told him, my voice devoid of any emotion.

I saw Flack's jaw clench, his eyes wide and shocked.

I turned my back on him letting Sam escort me towards the parking garage.

* * *

The darkness of the apartment was welcoming as I stepped into it, throwing my keys across the table. Sam flicked on the light behind me, I was already in the kitchen taking out a set of tumblers and pulling out the bottle of Jack Daniels Flack kept in the overhead cupboard. Beer wouldn't cut it.

Sam closed the door behind her; I felt her eyes intent on me as she stepped into the kitchen.

"I don't think drinking is really such a good idea," she murmured stepping beside me as I poured out two tumblers worth of whiskey.

I turned towards her thrusting one into her hand.

"Just shut up and have a drink with me," I told her, knocking back the glass.

The amber liquid burnt my throat making me gasp, before Sam followed suit. I was already pouring my second. Sam declined when I offered to do the same for her.

I knocked back the second, and then a third and a fourth as I was pouring the fifth, Sam chose to intervene taking the bottle from my hands.

"You're shaking," she stated when I tried to snatch it back.

I frowned, spreading my hands out in front of me. They were trembling like crazy. I stared at them, feeling horror begin to overtake me.

"Sit down," Sam instructed, as I realized my whole body was beginning to tremor.

I dropped down onto the couch. Sam pulled the blanket off the back of it and sat down, pulling it over us both. I could feel the tears rising, I closed my eyes feeling dizzy and seeing Angell's face looming in my vision again.

"It's ok… it's the shock wearing off," Sam whispered soothingly, slipping her arm around my shoulders and pulling me close against her.

I rested my head on her shoulder, and pulled the blanket up to my chin as the tears swept silently down my cheeks. Sam's hand was rubbing my arm comfortingly. The numbness was beginning to fade away now, to be replaced with the crushing guilt and horror of the entire situation.

"It was my fault Sam…I tried to grab her and my fingers just slipped right off her jacket. I should have realized before she got up on that ledge…I should have tried to talk Mari down sooner …" I trailed off, choking back a sob.

Sam was hugging me tighter against her as I wept into the crook of her neck.

"None of this was your fault. Things like this happen, you can't start going on about the what ifs, Carmen. Your priority was the baby and you saved that little girl's life," Sam soothed, kissing my forehead.

"I should have saved them both." The alcohol was beginning to take effect now and the deep set weariness from the whole day was causing my eyes lids to grow heavy.

"I'm scared Sam… I'm scared of going to sleep because I keep seeing her face." I whispered, tugging the blanket tighter around myself.

"You don't need to be scared I'm right here. I promise it'll be ok," she murmured softly as I curled up against her, feeling sleep claiming me.

* * *

Sam's head darted up as the apartment door creaked open; Flack crept in, closing the door quietly behind him.

"How'd she doing?" he asked quietly, running a hand over his face exhausted.

Flack's eyes were on the figure of his wife, curled up in the foetal position, her head resting on Sam's lap, the blanket covering all but her face. Worry was biting at him; he stepped into the room, unable to tear his eyes away from her. He'd never seen her like this before.

"She pretty much drank and cried herself to sleep, but she broke down, the worst is over at least in that respect," Sam told him, as she watched the rise and fall of Carmen's chest.

Flack sunk down into the chair next to the couch, his hands rubbing at his handsome features.

"How'd it go at the office?" Sam asked, smoothing Carmen's hair away from her face.

Flack rewrapped his arms around himself and leaned forward, shaking his head.

"Mac's gonna see what he can do. Gerrard's saying she verbally resigned and she's unstable. Unfit for work. Sinclair's undecided. There was nothing she could have done, Hawkes said she tried to save her but Angell was wearing that stupid leather jacket and Carmen's hand slipped right off. It was an accident." Flack raked his hands through his hair.

"She looked Angell right in the eyes as she was falling Flack… that image, it's haunting her," Sam confessed.

Flack's hand was by his mouth, his eyes back on Carmen's unconscious form.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted, feeling utterly helpless.

Sam's golden eyes fixed on him as she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Just be there, when she needs it, she'll let you know," Sam reassured him.

Flack closed his eyes momentarily nodding, before rising to his feet.

"I'm gonna put her to bed and then go myself, maybe this will all be a little bit better when we wake up in the morning," he sighed. "You okay taking the couch tonight? I can call you a cab back to Adam's?"

Sam shook her head in response to his question.

"The couch will be fine. I don't wanna leave her like this. She's been there a lot for me, helping my deal with my issues," Sam confessed feeling uncomfortable.

Flack didn't ask, he merely nodded before bending over and drawing Carmen's sleeping body into his arms. She barely stirred as he picked her up. He couldn't get over the childlike expression on her face as she mumbled something before snuggling against him.

"Thanks Sam, for everything," Flack said sincerely as he carried Carmen toward their bedroom.

"Anytime Flack, anytime," she told him before he shut the door to the bedroom behind him.

* * *

_**I just finished my deadline, but I have lots more coming up. Wish me luck. Anyway, yeah, I'm cruel! By the 6**__**th**__** of May I should be finished and am planning a mass update!**_

_**I am plugging loads today:**_

_**-Gotham's Heroes by Spaxaph (co-written by Axellia, Sparkycsi and myself) it features all of our OC's so I suggest you check it out.**_

_**-What If's (co-written by Maddy Bellows and myself, but it's under my pen name.) It's an AU version of what would have happened in Devine Intervention f my muse had had her way.**_

_**-Positive (Madison Bellows) Trust me read it, especially if you're fond of a certain popular pairing that's going around at the minute.**_

_**-Carrot Juice Is Murder (Sparkycsi) it will make you laugh til you cry. I demand you read this one for the sheer hilarity. **_

_**-Sampson and Delilah (Bluehaven4220) It's a very touching piece, seriously read it.**_

_**-Memories of Brooklyn (Browneyedgirl75) It's made me laugh, cry and fall in love all over again, I strongly advise it. It even includes Carmen so take a peek you'll love it.**_

_**-What The Eyes Can't See (Axellia) It's funny and action packed and you'll love the whole concept and the OC!**_

_**-Finding Kate (by me) Miami fic, featuring my new OC Kate Callahan.**_

_**Review Replies**_

_Hardy: I quite like the Angell/Flack relationship because it shows how girl's can be hard asses as well, in the face of their male counter parts in male dominated professions, but I do understand it isn't everyone's thing. You made me blush! Thank you very much, let's hope this story stays that way._

_Daisy: You'll have to wait and see what happens with everything. Some of it's already pre written so you won't have to wait too long. Her own guilt seems to be dragging her down at the moment. Lol Hawkes secret is gonna be a long time coming and is something I'm keeping close to my chest for the moment. You need anything else off me just let me know. Go nuts and do whatever you need to with Matt._

_Bluehaven: Oh I did! I was as surprised as you were. She was a good char to have to create potential friction. Lol Sam crept in, with that wicked way of hers. Angell wasn't a thereat anymore to them. Carmen would have killed her if she touched him, and there isn't any tension between Carmen and Flack for her to agitate._

_PrincessG: lol I hope you like this chapter, and the tapping thing does work! Lol There is more to the Lucie case than meets the eye but your gonna have to be patient and wait. Lol Well haven't you just sussed out my new pairing lol. You'll have to wait and see what happens, its not a clean break for her._

_Bad: Bet your still saying OMG after this chapter too ain't ya._

_Mauveine: lol Zach gets his own special ending after Carmen starts running the lab, you'll have to wait and see. Lol It was my intention jut a little something for Browneyed's readers to pick up on. CH100 is a chap dedicated to pure Gus and Adam._

_Sparkycsi: I'm sorry for not getting a chance to beta some of your stuff. Lol that is actually a good point you made about how there would be no chapters otherwise. I love this chapter because she just gives up._

_Katydid13: lol it surprised the hell out of me too. I hope the story picks up for you, I think you had a fantastic concept._

_Browneyed: lol you are not a fan of her are you? What you think of this one?_

_Maddy: lol you flatter me to darling. I am glad that she did too, pity how it all coincided. I think we got to Carmen's breaking point again at the mo and I feel awful for her. Nice to see your story up and running!_

_JoanneF: At the min she's not actually running the lab, she's being tested to see if she can. Lol I cant wait until you see the start of the 3__rd__ story for the Devine series. I didn't see that end coming either I was all set to grab her back but instead my muse let her fall._

_Axellia: You played catch up again! Gus/Adam are a damn popular pairing at the mo. Lol we all have our secrets. Lol I wish he'd fly here with croissants! Lol your making my blush with the Tay comments. Her names Jess in this. Sam is in and out for a while eventually she'll be here to stay. Lol I'm glad too! Thanks for all your reviews._


	98. Chapter 98: Calling In The Cavalry

Chapter Ninety Eight

_Just let me hold you while you're falling apart  
Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down_

Fall on me  
Tell me everything you want me to be  
Forever with you forever in me  
Ever the same

_Rob Thomas – Ever The Same_

The room was spinning as my eyes flickered open. I was lying on my stomach, face pressed into the pillow. Flack's body was pressed up against mine, his arm slung over my back. I could literally feel my stomach contents churning as pain exploded in my head. Bile was beginning to climb up my throat now as my stomach rolled.

I bolted from the bed and made it into the bathroom, my head over the toilet bowl just in time for the contents of my stomach to make an unwelcome return. Firm hands were holding my hair back as my body wretched and heaved two days worth of food from my stomach. I slumped heavily against the toilet trying to catch my breath as Flack handed me a glass of water wordlessly. I took it gladly before stumbling to my feet my free hand pressed against my clammy forehead.

"Better?" he asked as I sat down on the edge of the bath next to him.

Flack took the glass from my hands as I nodded and set it down in the sink before slipping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. I leaned in to him my hands between my knees as the memories from yesterday flooded back to me.

I was beginning to choke up again; I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes. I blinked and sniffed trying to hold it back. My shoulders were shuddering under the strain of seeing Angell's face over and over again in my mind. Flack wrapped his arms around me tightly and held me close as I felt myself begin to break down all over again.

"It's ok…Let it all out," Flack whispered.

The tears were rolling down my cheeks thick and fast now. Flack pressed his lips to my forehead, kissing it gently as I became overwhelmed with a spectrum of emotions.

"I keep seeing her falling Don…I keep going over it in my head and I can't make it stop. My fingers keep slipping off her jacket and her eyes…Shit Don her eyes were right on me. It won't go away…"

My arms were locked around his waist tightly, clutching him to me.

"Carmen, it wasn't your fault."

I jerked away from him incredulously.

"How can you say that? I was right there I could have stopped her; I could have talked Mari down. I could have done something Don, anything."

I was on my feet now yelling, my chest aching from the constant sobbing. Flack stood up reaching for me.

"You don't understand, you can't."

I darted past him as I spoke heading straight into the bedroom and slamming the door behind me before collapsing on the bed and giving way to the crushing guilt I was finding impossible to escape.

* * *

"What the hell was that about?" Sam asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the closed bedroom door.

"I don't understand apparently," Flack told Sam.

Flack's mouth was set in a grim line as he snatched his jacket off the back of the couch and shrugged it on.

Sam frowned as she watched him grab his keys off the kitchen table and head towards the front door.

"And where do you think your going?" she called after him.

Flack hesitated, his hand on the door handle, before he looked back at her.

"To get help." And with that he was out the door, leaving Sam to deal with the situation at hand.

* * *

Flack walked into the sun-lit diner, his eyes searching instantly for any sign of his partner. Gus waved at him from a booth at the back before Flack weaved through the tables and slid into the booth with ease.

They both said nothing until the waitress took their order and then returned to the bar.

Flack's head was bowed, his hands clasped together as Gus studied his posture before breaking the silence.

"How's she doing?" Gus asked quietly, pausing as the waitress slipped their coffee onto the table in front of them.

Flack ran a hand through his hair before meeting her gaze.

"Not good."

To Gus his voice spoke volumes, she knew he was desperate to help Carmen in any way he could.

"So tell me about the rumors I keep hearing." Gus stared Flack down as she stirred her coffee.

Flack looked away.

"They're not rumours." He stated, wrapping his hands around his coffee mug.

"Angell's dead, Carmen handed her badge to Gerrard and I think…" Flack hesitated. "She may be having a break down."

Gus's widened, as Flack looked down at his coffee feeling ashamed.

"She's…" Flack swallowed hard. "She's blaming herself for Angell's death and I can't snap her out of it. I'm scared Gus I've never seen her like this."

Gus reached out and rested her hand on Flack's arm gently. He looked up, his expression almost child like.

"I need help," he told her. "I'm scared for her… I'm scared what she might do."

Flack rubbed his hands on his face. It occurred to Gus she'd never seen him so unnerved. Her heart went out to him as he stared into the distance, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

"I'll do whatever I can, you know that Flack. I would do anything for you two", Gus said softly.

Flack nodded before looking sincerely into her eyes.

"Thank you."

"It's what partners are for", Gus said, patting his hand.

* * *

Sam was outside the bedroom door again for the third time in an hour. The plate of fresh fruit in her hand as she rapped her knuckles lightly against the door.

"Carmen?" she called through it.

Yet again, she received no answer from the other side. She was starting to grow concerned. For starters, she knew that it was unhealthy for Carmen to lock herself away like this. The other woman was emotionally distraught and bad things happened when you were alone with your thoughts behind closed doors.

"Carmen, seriously you have to eat something…" There was no response.

Sam felt icy cold fear begin to tingle up her spine. Carmen hadn't responded any of the times that she'd knocked upon the door. She set the plate of food down on the dresser next to the door before putting her hand on the door handle and pushing the door open.

The room was dark; the curtains fluttering in the breeze from the open French windows. She couldn't see Carmen anywhere in the room. Sam's heart thudded hard in her chest as her gaze slid to the balcony.

"No…" she whimpered taking a step forward.

"Don't worry. I haven't decided to chuck myself off the balcony just yet," a scornful voice piped up from behind her.

Sam jumped, startled, before spinning around to see Carmen sitting against the wall next the open closet door, nursing a bottle of beer in her hand.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Sam asked confused, pointing at the beer in Carmen's hands.

Carmen pointed at the closet, before taking another swig of the bottle.

"Flack keeps his stash in there so Thomas can't get at them," she told the other woman peeling the paper label.

"Carmen it's lunchtime, at least eat something before you start drinking," Sam snapped.

Carmen turned her face away as Sam flicked on the light switch suddenly.

"Jesus," Carmen remarked blinking rapidly against the harsh light.

Sam's eyes narrowed as she took in the two other empty beer bottles that littered the floor next to Carmen.

"Okay! That's it I've had enough of your wallowing," Sam growled.

"I am not letting you do this," she continued snatching the beer bottle from Carmen's hands as she went to take another sip. "You will get up right now and get your ass into that shower to sober up. You're supposed to be a mother Carmen; do you want your son to see you like this? Do you?!"

Carmen raked her hands through her hair shaking her head. Sam was already routing through Carmen's chest of drawers, pulling out clean clothes for her.

"This is not the Carmen Devine I know, she wouldn't take this lying down…" Sam snarled, watching as Carmen stumbled to her feet.

"That Carmen Devine wouldn't have let someone fall off a building," Carmen pointed out wearily.

Sam let out an infuriated moan before grabbing the other woman by the shoulders and shaking her.

"How many times do we have to go through this? It wasn't your fault Angell was doing her job, she slipped off the building, there was nothing you could do. Right now there's a shit load of people worried about you. The phone hasn't stopped ringing since last night, Flack's freaking out because you've made him feel absolutely useless! You need to snap the hell out of this"

Sam released Carmen who was starting to look like she might throw up again.

"I'm not sure how… I don't know how to make this all better," Carmen confessed looking down at her hands forlorn.

"Firstly, you're hitting the shower; here's your clothes." Sam shoved the pile of clean everything into Carmen's open hands.

"Then, we'll take it a step at a time. Come on." She gestured for Carmen to follow her into the bathroom.

Carmen set down on the edge of the bath as Sam opened up the medicine cabinet and began to take out an assortment of items.

"What are you doing?" Carmen asked bluntly frowning at the petite woman who was gathering up the small pile of things she'd chucked in the sink.

"I'm getting rid of anything you could possibly do your self damage with," Sam told her directly.

Carmen rolled her eyes.

"Hadn't you better take my toothbrush too, incase I find away to sharpen it and slit my wrists?" Carmen remarked dryly.

Sam's golden eyes strayed to the set of three toothbrushes perched next to the sink, debating how realistic this possibility may be.

"Oh, for Christ's Sake!" Carmen shouted. "I'm not going to hurt myself Sam, especially not with my toothbrush, so go, shoo so I can shower in peace."

Sam raised an eyebrow pointedly, before treading towards the bathroom door, her hands full of what she deemed "dangerous objects".

"If you're not out in twenty minutes, I'm coming into drag your ass out of there myself," Sam informed her.

"You are such a…" Sam shut the door behind her so she couldn't hear the last few words of Carmen's retort.

* * *

Sam was in the process of storing the things she'd taken from the bathroom in a safe place when the apartment door opened revealing Flack, Gus and a very tired looking Doctor Sheldon Hawkes.

Flack frowned at her, seeing the bag of items next to her.

"Are you trying to steal the contents of our bathroom? I'm telling ya Sam you have a weird fixation," Flack stated shaking his head as Hawkes closed the door behind him.

Sam rolled her eyes as she pushed the items into the bread bin and shut the lid.

"I'm hiding them so Carmen doesn't decide to engage in some self harm while she's on the shower."

"Has she said anything about hurting herself? Has she tried anything?" Gus questioned, trying to keep her voice calm and steady, but her eyes registered alarm.

Sam put her hands on her hips, and shook her head.

"Not really, I'm just kind of paranoid, but she did manage to get into the beer in your closet," Sam told Flack.

Flack put a hand to his forehead.

"I can not believe I forgot about that," he muttered frustrated.

"Erm…Sam did you not consider what may happen if she decides to make a sandwich," Hawkes pointed out, his intense dark eyes upon her, a good natured smile spreading across his face.

Sam went pale, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God, Hawkes you're right!" Sam hurriedly opened the bread bin and took the bag of bathroom contents out if it. "What should I do with it?"

Hawkes took a step towards her, his hand resting on her shoulder. It felt soothing and warm on her skin. Sam relaxed under his touch as he took the bag from her hands and met her golden eyes with his chocolate coloured ones.

"Sam, I'm pretty sure that Carmen's going to be fine. She just needs time to process everything and understand that this wasn't her fault. I don't think she'd going to use…" Hawkes peered in the bag and smirked. "Tampax to kill herself with."

"That may actually be my fault for telling her I was planning to sharpen my toothbrush," Carmen announced as she stepped out the steamy bathroom, clad in fresh clothes, her wet hair tied back into a messy bun.

"I see someone's sobered up," Sam smirked from across the room.

"Hey, Hawkes and I are gonna take you out for lunch…I know you haven't eaten and it'll do you some good to get out of the apartment for a little while," Gus said with an affectionate smile.

Carmen looked to Flack, her eyes trusting, knowing this was part of something that he'd conspired in. Flack nodded briefly and watched as his wife bowed her head and sighed.

Sam reached forward handing Carmen her handbag.

"Bring me back some dessert?" Sam pouted playfully.

Carmen's face lit up in her first smile in over twenty four hours.

"I'll buy you both dessert," Hawkes submitted, wrapping his arm around Carmen's shoulders, and winking at Sam as Gus held open the apartment door for the both of them.

Sam found herself flushing red at the unexpected flirting.

"Now be good and play nice," Sam called after them before shutting the door to the apartment and turning to face Flack.

"You think they're gonna snap her out of it?" Sam asked.

"If anyone can it's gonna be those two, you weren't doing too bad yourself. You managed to get her out of the bedroom," Flack reasoned.

Sam bowed her head, nodding.

"It's scary though, seeing her control slip like that," Sam murmured, twirling a strand of hair around one finger.

"Yeah, it is," Flack agreed, shaking his head. "I've gotta get to the station and see what we can do about getting her badge back. You wanna ride back to Adam's?"

"You think she'd gonna be alright?" Sam asked a little uncertain as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Gus and Hawkes will stay with her until I get back. I think they'll manage to straighten things out, in her head." Flack reassured the petite woman, before ruffling her hair.

"Hey Sam, thanks for everything you've done for us both. I really appreciate it," Flack muttered pulling Sam into a grateful hug.

"Hey, she'd do it for me," Sam returned as they pulled away from each other.

"You're right she would," Flack agreed as they slipped out of the apartment door to try and fix the mess that had been made.

* * *

_**As usual I am plugging, but it's something different this time! The **__**CSI: NY FF Awards!**_

_**Just go on The Corrupter's profile and click on communities and then the community forum, you should see it.**_

_**SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION BY VOTING!!**_

_Princess: One day I'll become immune to your foot tapping and you'll be very sad. lol until that day I must follow your every whim! If everything was clean cut it would be predictable and a little boring. She's in shock and desperate to just get way from everything hence why she handed in her badge. You'll have to wait and see what happens. I love your honesty!_

_Forest Angel: I have to admit I am cruel to my chars, but it does get better for her. I say that but that's until some bunny attacks me with a new plot idea on how to mess her up some more. I really dislike Gerrard hence why they fight all the time lol, it gets worse too. They were kind of making friends so Carmen is sad that she's gone._

_Daisy: lol and that was a crazy thing, it was an extremely potent image in my mind. She just wanted to get out of there and didn't give a shit any more. We'll have to see what happens in regards to her badge. I keep forgetting to pm you about the chapter. I really like it, I wanna see more!_

_Maddy: lol I wanted people to see that she is human, and she can break. Thank you for your kind words. The relationships are the important part of every story, how your chars reflect on other people shows a lot._

_Mauveine: I don't think anyone can truly understand the extent of what she's feeling at the min. Thanks for your kind words, it means a lot that people think that this was a realistic reaction to the situation at hand. Lol Sparkycsi's brain child was the beginning of this chap so thank her._

_Bad: lol I have my hands on my hips young lady! Glad I made you feel all that! Lol bet this chapter did the same thing._

_Bluehaven: I really loved your story, I did watch the vid too. It was awesome! Pretty well done. Sam is seriously trying to help, she is hilarious in this chap lol._

_Browneyed: I'm glad you like this and I'm writing Sam well. She makes me laugh writing her. Lol your just jealous you can't kill her off yet._

_Sparkycsi: lol after Wed I'm finished for good! Your allergies playing up? Lol I was gonna say Carmen hits you in the gut after the jovialness of Flack and Cory. Lol I don't know, I just manage somehow. I do love writing all the diff people. I love writing them all because the different personalities and it gives me more to play with._

_JoanneF: You'll have to wait and see what happens, it's a very sad and tragic event but its not her fault. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job it means a lot, especially with a storyline this emotional, its something I've never played with before._

_Laplandgurl: She just couldn't see a way out and she desperately anted to just get away hence why she handed her badge over. I actually really love Angell in the series after they fleshed out her char._


	99. Chapter 99: Time To Let Go

Chapter Ninety Nine

_And I,  
Love to forgive and forget,  
So I,  
Try to put all this behind us,  
Just,  
Know that my arms are wide open,  
The older I get, the more that I know.  
Well it's time to let this go._

_James Morrison – This Boy_

The café was a quiet little place situated around the corner from mine and Flack's apartment. We were seated at one of the little tables outside. Hawkes had overlooked the fact I'd told him I wasn't hungry and ordered me a fruit salad and a strong coffee.

I prodded at it with my fork before sipping my coffee and discreetly glancing at the other two. Gus was reading through the menu checking out desserts and Hawkes was staring into space whilst chewing on his sandwich.

"Okay, I give up…Just get what you're gonna do over and done with," I announced, popping a lice of banana in my mouth.

"I seriously don't know what she's talking about do you Hawkes?" Gus pretended innocently, darting a glance at Hawkes.

"No, I have no idea," Hawkes beamed from behind his coffee cup.

I narrowed my eyes at the both of them

"We're just here, if you wanna talk," Gus said softly.

"At least you're not telling me it's not my fault, because I'm telling you that line is really starting to piss me off," I informed them.

I found myself surprised when Hawke's warm soft hands reached out and took mine. I found myself staring into intense chocolate coloured eyes brimming with honesty and compassion.

"Carmen, it wasn't your fault," he said bluntly.

I yanked my hands away and picked up my fork and stabbed at the contents of my plate. My head jerked up as Gus's fingers touched my arm briefly.

"Carmen, listen to him. I know that you're blaming yourself and you're sick of people telling you it wasn't your fault. But Hawkes was there, he saw what happened. At least just listen to him, and what he saw. We're here to help you, and after this if you don't wanna talk you don't have to," Gus drawled, her eyes staring into mine.

I swallowed hard before diverting my attention to Hawkes. He reached out again, entwining his fingers in mine. Our eyes met, and I knew he was looking into my soul, seeing the pain I didn't want him to see.

"Close your eyes," he requested.

I frowned puzzled but did as I was told. Hawkes voice was soothing and rich as he spoke to me in low tones.

"Remember when the baby was in your arms. You were holding her to your chest as you took her from Mari?" Hawkes asked.

I nodded my agreement.

"Tell me what happened next," he murmured.

I focused on my actions as I ran through the memory over and over again before finally replying.

"The baby was pressed to my chest. I swung around to face you as Angell ran past me. I remember seeing her out the corner of my eye as I made the movement. I handed the baby to you, I made sure you had hold of her before I let go. Then I turned back around to face Mari."

"Now focus on Angell. Where was she at this point?" Hawkes said gently.

I clenched my jaw as I tried to focus on the lead up the fall as opposed to the fall itself.

"She was already on the ledge. Her hands were fixed under Mari's elbows. Jess was tugging her towards the roof… but Mari was pulling her the other way. Mari was really struggling and she kept looking down at the ground. I remember she tried to shove Jess backwards along the ledge. But Jess still had hold of her. I remember thinking Jess's grip had loosened."

"It did… Keep going," Hawkes told me.

"Mari tried to push Jess again, it knocked her off balance. I remember stepping forward to reach out…help balance her, but then Mari jumped…Jess's grasp slipped off of her, but the momentum over balanced her body in the other direction. I remember grabbing her, to pull her back towards me but her jacket was wet and my hand slipped off. There was nothing I could have done… it had been raining at the scene she was at before and her jacket was that stupid leather one… my hand just slipped right off." My hand was pressed against my mouth as I opened my eyes, choking back the emotion that was filling my chest.

Hawkes scooted his chair around to my side of the table, his arm slipping around my shoulders, comforting me. Gus reached out clutching my hand tightly.

"It's understandable to blame yourself in a situation like this, but think about what happened. Your hand slipped off her jacket. You tried to save her but in the circumstances you couldn't. It was terrible accident and you did everything you could. Jess chose to get up on that ledge; she already had hold of Mari before you'd turned around. There was really nothing you could have done. You can't keep imagining the what if's. What's done is done and it's sad, but you tried and that's all that matters." Gus's words were penetrating through my immense depression.

I was starting to see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel I'd been travelling through.

"It still hurts you know…but I feel like there's been a weight lifted off my shoulders," I confessed, fiddling with my wedding ring.

"It gets better; you just need time to over it and process everything," Gus told me, her pretty face lighting up with a genuine smile.

Hawkes pulled me into a warm hug.

"Do you feel any better?" he asked, studying me as we both pulled away.

"Yea…I do…" I replied, nodding. "Thanks for doing this. I mean I know I don't make things easy."

Gus slapped my arm gently.

"We wouldn't love you if you made it easy," she shot back playfully.

I found myself smirking before my mood turned serious again as something suddenly hit me.

"I gave my badge to Gerrard," I blurted out.

Hawkes head snapped up at me, as Gus pulled a face.

"Yeah, that wasn't one of your best decisions yet," Gus sighed, before taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Crap… I don't know what to do... He's not gonna give it back," I rambled, spearing a strawberry.

"We have people working on that right now," Gus informed me. "They'll call us when they have news, so don't worry your pretty little head."

"Gus…" I said in a low voice. "I need you to do something for me."

Gus frowned before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Is it illegal?" she asked tentatively.

I snorted as I shook my head. Both Gus and Hawkes focused on me interested.

"Remember a while ago you were going on about teaching positions in NYU? Can you check to see if they're still looking for someone? I need…if this doesn't work out, I need to know there's something else I can fall back on. It's not fair to Flack to put the extra strain on him if I lose my job," I said thoughtfully, feeling my heart sink a little.

Gus stared at me as if this was occurring to her for the first time that things may not actually work out the way we all planned.

"I can do that," she muttered finally.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Wow, this is scary," I uttered.

I was trying to make sense of how everything had started to go downhill so quickly. In over twenty-four hours I'd lost someone I knew, possibly my job and I'd frightened the living hell out of my husband and all of my friends.

"You're not on your own you know, even if this doesn't work out. We're all here for you. We're like one big family. You've always got us," Gus's words broke through my thoughts.

"I really appreciate it too. Thank you."

* * *

The labs were silent as everyone continued to work, processing their evidence, eyes flickering towards the glass panels of Mac's office. Inside, Mac was in deep conversation with both Gerrard and Sinclair. Stella stood next to Mac's desk attempting to mediate between the three men.

Her presence was a soothing influence on Mac, making him more rational and less emotive towards the situation. Stella reminded him he had a job to up hold and it was in his best interests to act professional in the circumstances at hand.

"I know she's your CSI Taylor and you and her may have become personally attached, but she made a verbal resignation to me, and we're still investigating the possibly that she may of pushed Detective Angell of that roof," Gerrard submitted into the discussion.

"You mean like I pushed Clay Dobson? You've been gunning for her badge Stan, ever since you found out that it was going to be her running the Crime Lab. You're making this personal instead of taking a professional stance on things. The witnesses say that Angell fell trying to restrain the suspect on the ledge. The evidence points to that explanation," Mac retaliated, his voice low and dangerous.

"He's right Stan, it's been double checked; Detective Angell's death is tragic but it was still an accident," Sinclair spoke openly.

"That still doesn't change the fact that her badge is going to be residing in my top drawer for a very long time. She verbally resigned in that interrogation room, she actually put her badge in my hand. I think she's burnt out. Even if she were to take back her resignation I wouldn't give her it back. She's rude, arrogant, disrespectful of authority and mentally unstable. I'm surprised we haven't had an incident like this before," Gerrard argued, his hands knitted together in front of his mouth.

"Listen to yourself Stan, you're turning this into a witch hunt." Mac's eyes darted to Sinclair as he shook his head. "It was clear Carmen was in shock when she arrived back here, she wasn't thinking straight because she just saw one of her colleagues take a tumble over the edge of a building. Stan had her locked in an interrogation room, when we recommended that she be taken to the hospital to get treated for the shock."

"By one of your own CSI's I might add," Stan pointed out.

Mac's furious gaze swung onto the other man.

"Doctor Sheldon Hawkes is an excellent doctor! His medical opinion is based on year's worth of training and he is an asset to the team," Mac returned. "You come in here blaming my CSI for handing her badge to you when she had no other choice! You ordered her to stay where she was otherwise you'd take her badge. What was she supposed to do? She just saw someone she knew die right in front of her eyes. You had no reason to keep her there and you know it. You were exerting your power over the situation because you could and this is the fall out from you agitating an already volatile situation."

Gerrard was on his feet, leaning over Mac's desk, his palms flat against it.

"How dare you Taylor? What exactly are you accusing me of?" Gerrard snarled.

Mac was on his feet, his face inches from Gerrard's enraged.

"You've made this personal. This isn't about Angell's death; this is about you seeing Carmen as a threat, I think it's high time you admitted that and got whatever issues you have with her out of your system because I am gonna make it my personal mission to get her badge back," Mac growled at the other man.

"I'd like to see you try Taylor. Until then her badge is staying in my top drawer reserved for the people I think don't deserve the honour of carrying one," Gerrard straightened up as he spoke.

"Now, if you excuse me gentlemen, I have work to be getting on with," Gerrard smirked before leaving the office, closing the door firmly behind him.

Mac's jaw was clenched, his eyes following the other man through the glass.

"This is getting out of hand. He's supposed to be the Chief of Detectives; he's letting his resentment for her get in the way of his professional obligation. Carmen's not dangerous or unstable. She saw something utterly horrible and Gerrard took advantage of that. We all know there's no way under normal circumstances he would have accepted her badge, and more than she would have given it away," Stella input, shaking her head and biting back her anger.

Mac drew back and sank into his chair, his eyes on Sinclair.

"She's right Brigham," Mac added.

"He's not going against protocol with his actions though. Which is where the problem lies," Sinclair informed them.

Mac leaned back thoughtful.

"You have the power to put an end to this," Mac reminded Sinclair.

Sinclair shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

"That's a pretty big favour your asking there Taylor," Sinclair remarked dryly.

"I'm not asking for a favour I'm asking for you to do the right thing. You know as well as I do that he's not playing fair. She deserves another chance," Mac told him openly.

Sinclair out a deep sigh.

"Her arrest jacket speaks for itself. You'd be losing one of the best CSI's the lab's ever had if you let her go, and it could take us months to find someone to replace her," Stella added, with a small smile.

"I hear the Donahues are offering up a small donation to the Crime lab because Carmen saved their child. It would be really sad if they changed heir mind because she couldn't have her badge back," Mac stated, shaking his head and trying to keep the smile from tugging at the edges of his mouth.

"Oh yeah, imagine how many crimes we could solve faster with the extra funding," Stella sighed.

"Okay. Well I'm sure that with a little urging Gerrard will make the right decision. In the meanwhile I'm gonna need you to get her psychologically evaluated. I don't want this coming back and biting me in the ass. I'm talking about department shrink. I want this done by the books," Sinclair demanded, rising to his feet.

"Of course," Mac replied, also standing up and walking Sinclair towards the door.

Sinclair paused, his hand on the door handle before turning to face Mac.

"You think she's still capable of running the Crime lab while you're away Taylor? Because it's a bit late to be dragging someone in from the outside to take over and I'm getting used to having someone put Gerrard in his place," Sinclair spoke with a small smile curving over his dark features.

"I'll ask her Brigham and let you know," Mac stated, a grin spreading across his face.

"I'll have her badge back by tomorrow. If she passes the psychological evaluation she can have it back," Sinclair informed Mac before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Mac turned to face Stella, pulling a face.

"That could have gone a lot worse," Stella said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I'm just thankful you were here appealing to Sinclair's better nature." Mac told her picking up his cell phone and starting to dial Flack.

* * *

Flack was strolling through the bull pen when Cory finally managed to catch up with him. She fell into step easily along side him.

"How's Carmen doing?" Cory asked, studying the profile of Flack's face.

Flack shook his head before pausing and turning to look at Cory. His arms were folded over his chest as his blue eyes fixed on her.

"Not good. Gus and Hawkes are with her at the moment…its bad Cory…I'm not sure what the hell to do if she doesn't shake this off." Flack sighed looking haunted.

Cory touched his arm gently.

"Carmen's a strong girl, Don. She just needs to realize that she wasn't responsible for Angell's death and go from there," Cory tried to assure him.

Flack let out a deep sigh before nodding grimly.

"How's it going with Garvey?" he asked.

"She claiming it's a set up, she says someone framed her."

Flack snorted as Cory handed him the evidence folder. He flicked through it, scanning each page before handing it back to her.

"What? The happy little gang elves took her gun and shot someone with it?" he growled.

"I double checked everything, it was definitely her," Cory stated. "No doubt about it."

"So it's a last ditch attempt to get out of going to jail?" Flack said thoughtfully.

"It would seem that way. I have to hand it to her she's certainly trying," Cory told him, biting her lip at the expression on his face.

His phone went off before she could say anything. He snatched it up, his handsome features concerned.

"Flack."

Cory looked at him in interest as he hung up the phone grinning, a tired smile spreading across his face.

"Carmen's getting her badge back."

* * *

_**Well I'm on the home stretch people and it's killing me. Lol I haven't slept properly in days or had time to really do anything else but research and essay write. Hopefully by the end of this week I will be finished. I thought I'd take a break and give all you lovely people a brand new chapter.**_

_**The Corrupter has found away to set up the CSI: NY Awards! You love me and this story? Then vote!**_

_**Plugging my CSI: Miami story Finding Kate, What If's by myself and Maddy Bellows and of course Gotham's heroes by Spaxaph.**_

_Blue: Hey I'd love to see the new vid, I'm interested in the one you put up on there about Flack and Angell. Exactly no kid should see that, it's a wonder Sam didn't bitch slap her. I knew that would be the thing that snapped Carmen out of it, no matter what happens she'd carry on for her son._

_Brown: lol your hints are damn right awful lol seriously tho you'll have to wait and see Girl. I could so see Sam being that neurotic. Lol shhhh, you must not talk about the choc, or the strawberries lol._

_Sparkycsi: We are mean girls lol playing with are readers like that. Sam is definitely one of a kind!_

_Mauveine: lol it was one of Sam's traits I could see that as a genuine paranoia of hers, and the tampax was just a throw in like the toothbrush remark. Lol lets put it this way I have a few plans for that pairing. It gets better lol and Hawkes secret, well your gonna have to wait, him and Sam do have a really sweet scene coming up. You had a good theory though._

_Lapland: Sam knows how to treat Carmen. Lol I'm glad you think he's good for her he's so loveable and he knows when he needs help, he has the baby to think about._

_Princessg: Hey I never said honesty was pretty but I appreciate it. I'm glad that those two managed to kick her ass into gear too, it was getting scary when I was writing. To be honest I like hearing about other people's experiences and I like it when people feel like they can tell me things like that. Lol I would give you a Danny doll to cheer you up. Lol the foot tapping thing gets me! I have no idea why! Lol one more chap until Adam and Gus. Lol thanks for nominating me!_

_Maddy: lol putting the humour in was the hard part, I was sitting there thinking how am I gonna make this that little bit lighter and not make it seem vulgar and misplaced. Carmen's always had the family of friends lol. Sometimes it's a better support network, you can chose your friends._

_Bad: lol Carmen can be pretty snarky when she wants to be! Lol you'll see what happens in the next few chapters. You start to get a better hold of things leading up to other things._

_Daisy: It s hard for her in her mind she wishes she'd stopped it. He will tell him soon but you'll see what kind of fall out that has. The prob with having so many story lines is the fact other things get pushed to the back burner._


	100. Chapter 100: What Adam Had Planned

Chapter One Hundred

_I watch you spin around in your highest heels  
You are the best one, of the best ones  
We all look like we feel_

You have stolen my  
You have stolen my heart

_Dashboard Confessionals - Stolen_

Adam's head was bowed as he frowned, concentrating on the yellow note paper in front of him, a marker in one hand as he bent his body over the work desk looking closely at it.

"What are you working on?" Gus asked, leaning in to look at the paper over his shoulder.

She'd been watching him for the past few minutes with interest. Gus found that she liked observing his movements and his habits. There was something endearing about the way he puttered about in his own little word. She liked that about Adam, along with his cheerful attitude and positive nature.

"I'm writing a note," he told her, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he worked on the paper.

"And you're wearing latex gloves to do it?" Gus questioned, tilting her head to see what he was writing.

Adam pulled back to admire his handiwork, letting Gus get a good look at the note.

"You've been screwed!" she read out loud. "What's with the smiley face above the words?" Gus asked, trying to make sense of Adam's actions.

"That's just to add to the humiliation," Adam told her simply before putting the cap back on the marker.

Gus straightened up shaking her head.

"I don't get it…you're gonna have to explain this to me. Who's it for?"

"Gerrard," Adam said simply giving her a small smile.

Gus found herself speechless staring at him in utter disbelief as he continued.

"I heard him laughing before with some other big shot about how he's keeping Carmen's badge in his stupid special drawer and it makes me so mad…"

"So you're writing him a nasty note?" Gus was having trouble comprehending Adam's logic.

"Actually, I'm gonna break into his top drawer and get the badge and leave the note," Adam informed her. "Gerrard leaves his office unlocked at lunchtime, so I just sneak in there, bump key the lock and take it, and don't worry that badge will be long gone before he realizes it's missing. I used a marker that's practically untraceable and latex gloves so he can't print the paper."

Adam grinned proudly as he looked at Gus for the first time since she walked in the lab.

"You…can't do that…You'll get fired…or arrested," she stumbled over the words, still in utter shock.

Adam crossed his arms over his chest, deep set anger evident in his child like features.

"You didn't hear the way he was talking about her Gus. It's sickening, she's been there looking after people, people like me and it makes me sick to hear him talking like that. She saw a woman die in front of her and he takes her badge. He's just a God damn bully," Adam ranted haughtily.

"But you can't just break into his desk, you have to go through the proper channels to do this, even if you do give Carmen her badge back, she's not gonna be able to use it," Gus tried to reason.

"Gerrard's not going to give it back to her anyway," Adam pointed out. "At least it would be where it deserved to be, she honours that badge more than anyone here. He has no right to do what he did," Adam argued fury in his gaze. "Besides it's not like you can stop me," he mumbled.

There was an awkward silence between them as a light flicked on in Gus's head. Adam busied himself pretending to tidy his workspace as she squared her shoulders and folded her arms over her chest.

"I'll tell," Gus said.

Adam's head whipped around towards her, his eyes narrowing, trying to figure out whether she was bluffing.

"You wouldn't!" Adam exclaimed.

"For your own good I would!" Gus retorted, her gaze training on something behind Adam.

Adam followed her eye line and saw Mac walking towards the AV Lab, nodding at them both through the glass.

"Don't you dare…" Adam hissed just before Mac pushed open the door.

"I thought you weren't due back to work for another three weeks," Mac remarked to Gus with a good natured smile.

"I'm not cleared yet, but I'm going crazy being in the apartment all the time, I came down to see what was going on about Carmen," Gus spoke easily.

Adam's heart was racing in his chest as he watched her, looking for signs she was about to tell.

"Sinclair's going to have her badge by tomorrow; if she passes the psychological evaluation then she'll have it back in her hands in no time," Mac informed them.

Mac glanced up catching the stunned expression on Adam's face.

"What? You thought I was going to let Gerrard get away with something like that?" Mac questioned.

Adam shook his head, clamping his mouth shut.

"Good, because I'd do it for anyone of you," Mac told Adam, with a small smile before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"See…I just stopped you making a career ending mistake," Gus pointed out as Adam dropped into the swivel chair still stunned.

"I can not believe my own girlfriend was going to tell on me," he accused.

Gus put a hand to her chest, staring at him, a smile spreading across her face.

"You think of me as your girlfriend?" she inquired almost shyly.

Adam's cheeks flushed bright red before he began to ramble.

"I thought because we you know…and then I took you out to dinner… I know I did that backwards but it's not like I was expecting it to you know … happen. You practically being a goddess and all… I know …I know I assumed, but yeah… I get it was a stupid assumption…I'm so stupid…"

Gus crouched down in front of Adam as he bowed his head, ashamed. Her hand rested on his thigh gently.

"Adam?" she said softly as he rose his eyes to meet hers still blushing. "I would love to be your girlfriend. I didn't think you wanted anything… so I didn't push it, but I really want to see where this goes. You a fun, smart and handsome guy and I can't believe that I've fallen for you so quickly…" Gus trailed off realizing what the hell had just come out of her mouth.

"I didn't mean that…well I did… but it's freaking you out isn't it. I can not believe I just…" Gus was muttering to herself.

"Gus." Just hearing her name on Adam's lips as he reached out and cupped her face was enough to stop her in her tracks.

Gus raised her eyes to meet his. Adam was chuckling as he leaned in close. Gus couldn't help but thinking how beautiful that smile really was.

"I'm falling for you too," he whispered.

Gus felt a smile creep across her face as she wrapped her arms around Adam's neck, his hands sliding down to her waist. She shivered under his touch. Adam raised an eyebrow, loving the fact he had that effect on her.

"How about I take you out for dinner tonight when I get off shift?" Adam proposed, resting his forehead against Gus's.

"I have a better idea…how about we get take out and we can stay in all night?" Gus murmured in a tone that made heat rush through Adam's body.

"All night? Why Detective Brossard, don't be making promises you can't keep," Adam returned in a hoarse voice.

Gus leaned in so her lips were inches from his, the passion mixing in the tension between them.

"Why Detective Ross, I never make a promise I can't keep," she breathed.

"I swear to God if you don't get out of here in the next five seconds the lab is going to see the full extent of our relationship," Adam warned her, resisting the urge to kiss those perfect lips.

Gus pouted playfully before pulling her body away unwillingly from Adam's and raising to her feet.

"I'll be seeing you back at home Detective Ross." And with a sexy wink she was out the door and stalking down the corridor, leaving Adam with a content smile on his face.

* * *

_**It's updating time! I have one more essay to go but after ploughing through the last two the way I did I decided I needed a little break. And I get to see my parents for the first time in forever so yay! Anyway here's the little Adam and Gus chapter I promised.**_

_**Plugging What if's, Finding Kate and Spaxaph's Gotham's Heroes.**_

_**Also voting is open in the CSI:NY FF AWARDS. Vote for me!!**_

_Lapland: I needed a way to snap her out of it otherwise the story was gonna take a very bad turn so I could see Flack asking for help and with Hawkes being there he'd be able to help her go over it in her head. Lol if only it was that simple as giving her badge back lol. You'll see what I mean. Lol I had to have a way for them to work on Sinclair and I thought that would be an angle he'd have a lot of interest in. So thank God for Stella. Lol you're the best Mac/OC around!_

_Blue: Let me know when you do post the vid! Lol they were the only people who would have any idea how to get through to her and it shows how close they all are. Gerrard's vendetta is because he wants a little more power and Carmen's a younger version of Mac in a way and Gerrard doesn't like Mac, he thinks Carmen's a wildcard and bends the rules. It's basically a clash of personality and opinions._

_Forest: lol Sinclair and Gerrard's convo would be hilarious to see, you get to see Gerrard handing back the badge and he says a few choice things to her. I'm glad she is too; there was one point where I was like what is going to happen because the way the chars wanted to go._

_Daisy: lol you'll be seeing a lot more of Sam soon, you just have to wait and see. Thankies so much I can't wait until he votes are in, the whole things made me really excited! I thought Stella is sneaky she knows how to play the politics lol._

_Katy: I have one more damn essay lol but I'm gonna get onto that this weekend so fingers crossed. Hope you like this chapter too!_

_Maddy: lol how do you always make m e blush like that?! Thankies so much for your kind words. Lmao your bunnies are way partying together, although one is addicted to Finding Kate at the min. It was a dark time for a few mins with the essays but it's more manageable now._

_Princessg: It's the end of my BA degree; I have coursework instead of exams because of the course I do. So thank you very much. As for the foot tapping. I'll write a few more DI chaps after this last essay just for you! LMAO! Withdrawal, I get that too sometimes. You make me smile when I read you reviews. Lol Gerrard tries to say a few choice words when he's forced to hand her badge back but you know Carmen, she snaps back. _

_Mauveine: I always had a prob writing Hawkes because he didn't really have any depth to him, but ever since I've given him some background and that secret. I can write him great lol. He's a fun character to play with now. I glad you think I've captured him well. Lol if it were only as simple as her getting it given back lol you'll see. I'm a bitch to my OC's._

_Sparkycsi: lol thanks for your work on the other chap, it fits in fine and I like the way you write Cory's little doubts lol, I'm gonna try doing 102 in the next few days. Thanks for betaing too! Lol maybe I can return to being a good beta again when damn essay season is over._

_Brown: lol I know you love Hawkes more!! He's like my guilty pleasure when it comes to writing because I have barely used him until now. Lol well we get a few more talks with the G. Glad your liking it!_

_Axellia: lmao! You are so sneaky! You are no the only one who can see that, I think she wants to quit sooner rather than later but that's a prob for me so I have to manipulate the whole thing. Angell's death is a little add on to it, you're starting to see the rumblings that everything's not ok now. So well see where this takes us. Lol I am the plug queen!_

_JoanneF: She so did, it needed to be nipped in the bud quickly before she sank even deeper. I can just see him like that. Lol but will Carmen be happy._


	101. Chapter 101: A Dash of Doubt

Chapter One Hundred and One

_Let it go,  
Let it roll right off your shoulder  
Don't you know  
The hardest part is over  
Let it in,  
Let your clarity define you  
In the end  
We will only just remember how it feels_

_Rob Thomas – Little Wonders_

Flack was expecting the worst as he stood outside the door to his apartment, his keys clenched tightly in his fist. He wasn't sure what lay ahead, if Hawkes and Gus had managed to restore his wife's faith in herself. He hoped, he prayed that they'd found some way to help her, because short of dragging her to go see a counsellor he was out of options.

Flack sighed, before looking down at the keys in his hand. After all the trouble Mac and Stella had gone through, he hated the idea that she may not want to take her badge back. He knew she was starting to burn out. He could see it in her eyes. There was a deep set weariness in her soul; he'd seen it before in cops. When things got too much they snapped and he didn't want that happening to her.

They'd been thorough so much in the past seven years he found it hard to comprehend. Yet somehow they'd stayed standing, they'd gotten married and they had a child together and Flack was still in awe that he'd made it this far.

After the explosion that had torn open his chest, he'd sunk lower than he ever had before; he'd been stuck in a deep, dark depression. People were sceptical of his ability to work. Being a cop was his whole life, it was in his blood and if he lost that he didn't know what he would have done. Carmen had been the one to pull him out of it. She refused to let him wallow in his own self pity, she'd forced him to see a therapist, and eventually his life got back on track and he was grateful for it. She'd been a shining light in those dark months and now he knew that she needed him to return the favour.

Flack put his key in the lock and turned it, pushing the door open and peering into the apartment apprehensively. Closing the door behind him, he stopped dead at the scene in front of him.

Thomas was sitting on the floor between his mother's legs as she helped him set up the little wooden train track on the floor in front of them. He stood there, leaning against the door, a smile spreading across his face as he watched them.

Carmen handed Thomas the piece of train track, helping him manoeuvre it into place, all the while chatting to him in her familiar gentle tone she used only for him.

Her wavy auburn hair was tied back into a messy bun, stray strands framing her face and as her evergreen eyes rose to meet his, he felt that he'd fallen in love with her all over again.

Her beautiful smile curved across as she spotted him.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he murmured before stepping forward into the living room and taking off his jacket and setting it on the back of the couch.

"Hawkes took Sam home about twenty minutes ago after she deemed me of sound mind," Carmen informed him humorously as he sat in cross legged position upon the floor in front of the train tack her and Thomas were building.

Thomas reached out, holding a small piece of the wooden railway track out to Flack. He took it chuckling and tickling his son's chin with his fingertips. Thomas let out a little giggle causing Carmen to start laughing, too. He loved watching as her face lit up. He'd been frightened he'd never get to hear it again.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, busying himself with attempting to slot the track into the other pieces.

"Better than I was. Hawkes made me go over it. I couldn't have stopped her going over that edge. I tried. I really did, but I couldn't." Carmen kissed the top of Thomas's head as he played with the train on the half made track.

Flack watched her as she wrapped her arms around Thomas's waist and hugged him to her. Thomas in response drove his train up and down her thigh.

"I've got a surprise for you," Flack told her, opening his jacket and pulling something out of his pocket.

Carmen watched curiously as he did so, tilting her head trying to get a better look at the two pieces of card he was holding up.

"I wanna take you out, and I know you liked it when you were a kid and it was on Broadway so I thought why not. I got two tickets to Fiddler on the Roof."

Carmen's jaw dropped and her eyes widening.

"I can't believe you did that. I'd be kissing you right now if I didn't have Thomas on my lap." He could tell that she was trying not to bounce up and down in excitement.

"You can do that later," he said with a playful wink before his expression turned serious. His eyes lingering on her as he continued, "I also kind of have another surprise too. Though I'm not sure how you're gonna take it."

Carmen raised her eyes, frowning when she caught the expression on his face.

"You can have your badge back…" Flack said softly.

Carmen didn't say anything, she merely stared at him. He could tell she was completely stunned.

"Erm Princess, there's something I need to talk about to you." Flack said, clasping his hands together uneasily. "Do you actually want your badge back? This stays between you and me but I feel like…like you're starting to lose faith a little."

Carmen pursed her lips together before bowing her head and nodding it a little as she hugged Thomas tighter. The little boy was growing weary now. He curled into his mother's embrace, his head lulling against her chest.

"The truth is Don; I think I'm starting too. I've started thinking a lot recently, about all the bad things that have happened over the past few years, and I really can't believe that I've managed to survive so much. I just… It shouldn't be this hard to live and do this is job, but it is, and it's not just the job I know that. I used to hold onto that. But now…I'm starting to lose my grip on it. It's getting harder to find reasons to stay in the job. We help a lot of people but whose there to help us. We barely get a thank you. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth us risking our lives for those people. And all the shit we go through…" Carmen shook her head.

"It just seems to get worse and worse. I feel like the job's starting to demand things that I can't give. We shouldn't have to keep secrets from our friends. We shouldn't have to see our friends get hurt or attend their funerals. But we do and we get on with it and I can't help but wonder why. I'm being selfish now. You shouldn't have to hear this," Carmen muttered, landing a kiss on Thomas's forehead.

Flack's eyes were on her, intrigued and intense.

"I want to," he murmured. "I want to hear what's going on in your head Carmen."

So he sat there and listened patiently as she told him everything. How dejected and tired she felt, it was becoming a struggle to do the job, because when she came home she couldn't shake the images in her head anymore. At the end of it he wrapped his arms around her, trying to sooth the sense of lose and frustration that plagued her. His lips brushed her forehead as she relaxed into him, breathing in the scent of her as he stroked her auburn hair lovingly.

"This is your decision Princess; you're a good cop, one of the best. This will change your life. Whatever you chose I'll support you, I'll be here," Flack murmured pressing his lips to her ear.

"Thank you, Don," she whispered.

Flack pulled away, his eyes falling on the tiny bundle in her arms.

"Let's get him to bed."

* * *

Cory took a breath before she walked back into interrogation. She had no idea why Lucinda Garvey had requested to speak with her, but something in her gut told her that she needed to talk to her. So setting her jaw, she walked in to see the elegant women dressed in prison orange.

"Ah, Agent Reid," Lucinda said with a smile. "Or, may I call you Cory?"

Cory raised an eyebrow. "I really don't think that we're on a first name basis here, Mrs. Garvey."

Lucinda shook her head. "Please, call me Lucie. Is Daniel observing?"

Cory furrowed her brow. "No," she responded in confusion.

"Good. I've heard good things from Reggie about you and my son. He said that you were good for him and I thank you for that. My boys are the most important thing in my life, even if they don't know it."

Cory sighed in exasperation. "Look, Lucie. Why did you want to speak with me?"

"I wanted to convince you that I had nothing to do with Gavin's death. I swear on Danny's life that I didn't kill him."

Cory fought down the urge to roll her eyes. "Look, we've been over this before. Your prints and your prints alone are on the murder weapon, which was found in your bedside table. Your hair was found on the gun! What do you expect me to believe?" she exclaimed.

"From your reputation, I'd expect you to look beyond the evidence. Come on, Agent Reid. Do you really believe that if I had killed Gavin, I would keep a murder weapon that could be traced back to me? That I would be so careless as to leave my fingerprints on it?"

Cory thought for a moment, not liking how the reasoning was echoing her own personal thoughts, but knowing that she had to put Lucinda behind bars. Finally she decided to follow the trail of evidence. "So, if what you're claiming is true, who's trying to frame you?"

Lucinda looked stunned at Cory's willingness to follow her line of thought. "I don't know. There has been so much tension in the Family for the past year. The younger group wants to start trafficking drugs and that's just something that I won't do."

Cory sat down across from her. "Why?"

"Drugs are what tore my parents apart. I don't wish that on any child," Lucinda stated softly, a flash of sadness shadowing her eyes. "But, as for there one person being able to pull this off? I have no clue."

Cory shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. The evidence points to you," Cory said as she got up. "Unless there's some evidence to prove otherwise, I'm suggesting that the DA move forward with the case."

Lucinda just stared at Cory's retreating back, anger and hopelessness washing over her.

* * *

Sam shivered as Sheldon's hand settled on her lower back as he guided her down the familiar corridor towards Adam's apartment. There was no doubt that she was attracted to the tall, dark sensual man by her side. The scent of his aftershave and the proximity of his skin was enough to drive her crazy. His touches were small but made her desirable and delicate.

The thing she liked most about Hawkes was his compassion for other people. Sam could see the exhaustion set in his handsome face. Despite the fact she knew he hadn't slept in over twenty four hours, he's still come to the rescue of a friend in need. Sam admired the way he'd sat and laughed and joked with the two of them, brightening her Carmen's spirit and her own.

The silence was a comfortable one as they reached the door to Adam's apartment.

"You didn't have to walk me all the way up here," Sam remarked busying herself by looking for the key in her bag.

She yanked it out successfully almost elbowing Hawkes in the gut. Hawkes let out a rich laugh that made Sam break into a wide smile as she stared at the key in her hand.

"A gentleman always makes sure a lady gets home safely, especially in our line of work," Hawkes remarked in his quiet voice.

"And here's me thinking that chivalry was dead," Sam teased as Hawkes leaned in.

"Let me take you out to dinner before you go back to Arizona," Hawkes proposed, his finger reaching out and bruising a strand of hair away from her face.

Sam found herself staring into his intense dark eyes, being swept away with the desire that flooded her body at his touch. Hawkes' fingertips traced along her jaw line, and trailed down the supple skin of her neck. His lips brushed hers, slow and soft at first. Sam arched into kiss, her tongue teasing his as he trapped her between the door and his firm body. His kisses were more demanding now, his hands roving her body, before fastening on her hips and yanking her against him.

Sam moaned into his mouth her own hands slipping up his shirt and running up and down the taunt muscles of his firm body. She felt Hawkes stiffen underneath her touch as her fingers teased the sensitive skin along his trouser line. Excitement rushed through her as his teeth grazed her soft skin.

Sheldon's lips were next to her ear as his hands settled on her hips. The two of them were panting now.

"Do you want to take this inside?" he whispered his voice hoarse, making Sam shudder as his hands kneaded her ass.

"There is nothing more I'd want to do than take you inside and fuck you until your calling my name." Sam bowed her head letting out a deep sigh as Hawke's fingertips bit into her skin at her words.

"But I'm sorry Sheldon…" Sam's golden eyes met Hawke's confused frown. "I'm getting married next month."

Hawkes took a deep intake of breath before pulling away. His lips were pursed together as he nodded, trying to regain his composure.

"Different time, different place I'd be cuffing you to my bed and showing you one wild time but as it stands…" Sam shook her head apologetically. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

She felt awful for leading him on. He was a handsome, fantastic man who deserved better than this. Sam bowed her head, staring at the ring on her finger. She'd never felt this way before abut any other man, not even Zach, the man she was supposed to be marrying.

Hawke's hand cupped her chin gently. He tilted her head up to meet his gaze, his expression was one of extreme warmth. It soothed her instantly as a small smile curved across his lips.

"Sam, it's ok. Really..." his deep voice was reassuring.

"Look," Hawkes reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white card. "I really like you. You're an incredible woman and you make me feel…"

Hawkes hesitated before continuing.

"I've never felt this way before..." He took her hand and slipped his card into it. "If your ever in New York and wanna hang out, or if your circumstances change don't be afraid to call."

Sam swallowed hard nodding as Hawkes leaned in, his lips like a butterfly kiss on her cheek.

"You need anything Sam; don't be afraid to call me," he told her before turning his back on her, his hands in his pockets as he tread down the hall, wondering why the hell this particular one was taken.

* * *

Cory laid in her bed, wrapped securely in Danny's arm, a smile on her face as she slipped into sleep. When she opened her eyes, she caught sight of the field of bluebonnets and Armando waiting expectantly for her. "Another one?" she asked wearily, sick of seeing the aftermath of an explosion that somehow the Powers That Be expected her to stop. Armando just took her hand and pulled her into the next vision.

"Why are we at Ray's?" Cory asked curiously against the loud bustling atmosphere.

Armando simply pointed at the bar. Cory followed the direction of his finger and was surprised to see Carmen sitting against the bar, necking a tequila slammer.

"What the hell?" Cory muttered as she watched Carmen gesture to the bartender for another and then another.

"This is the first time she's been out since he's died," Armando informed her.

"But she's out here alone. She shouldn't be it's not safe…" Cory stated as she caught sight of a guy at the edge of the room eyeing Carmen's lone figure. His dark hair and piercing blue eyes almost reminded her of Flack…

Maybe in his younger days.

"She's meeting Gus here; Gus is stuck at the station at the moment," Armando returned.

Cory watched as the blued eyed guy slipped into the empty barstool next to Carmen and gestured at Ray so he could buy her a drink.

"Where's Thomas?" Cory asked.

"Adam has him. He's been there a lot for her since Flack died. He's a lot more responsible than he used to be." Cory watched as Carmen and the Flack look alike kinked shots and threw them back.

"She was already drunk before he gave her that shot," Cory growled.

It didn't take long for Cory to see where this was going especially when Carmen slipped off her stool after drinking too much and the Flack look alike who apparently was called Nick, and didn't seem to mind the fact Carmen kept calling him Don, grabbed her to stop her from falling managed to sneak a long kiss at the same time.

Cory almost cheered when Gus walked into the bar, unfortunately by this time Carmen and Nick had moved to a dark corner and were all over each other so much, that Gus didn't realize that Carmen was actually in the bar and Carmen didn't realize that Gus had entered.

"It appears your friend has stood you up, why don't we continue this back at your place." Nick whispered into Carmen's ear. Carmen responded by pulling Nick into a ferocious kiss. Cory turned away in disgust.

"Does she…?" Cory couldn't bring herself to say the words. Armando nodded.

"She misses him a lot you know. It's hard for her dealing with it. She's had male attention before and she's turned everyone away, she's isolating herself. That guy looks vaguely like the man she loved, with the alcohol in her system she's inclined to believe that he is, hence why she's been calling him Don all night." Cory let out a deep bitter sigh.

"Not that he seems to mind it." Cory shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "She's never like this. You wouldn't believe how out of character this is for her," Cory told him sadly.

"Death does crazy things to people; her son is her only reason for living," Armando told her. Cory stared at him stunned. Armando took hold of her hand and guided her out of the bar after Nick and Carmen.

--

It was the morning after and Cory didn't like the scene in front of her. Carmen had spent the past two minutes staring at the sleeping man next to her clearly horrified by her actions and by his resemblance.

Cory averted her eyes as Carmen slipped from under the duvet and wrapped her familiar green dressing gown around her.

Cory followed Carmen into the kitchen as she made herself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter staring at the bedroom door like it was about to bite her. Cory thought Carmen looked as if she was about to throw up.

The bedroom door opened revealing Nick, who was tugging his t-shirt over his head. Carmen closed her eyes for a brief minute as if praying for strength before addressing the situation.

Nick was already in front of Carmen; he took the coffee from her hands and set it down on the counter, before planting a passionate kiss upon Carmen's lips. As he pulled away Cory wasn't sure who was more shocked. Her or Carmen.

"This isn't going to work." The words were out of Carmen's mouth already as she pushed past Nick and strolled towards the front door.

"Exactly whose name were you calling last night?" Nick sneered as he met Carmen's gaze. Cory felt sorry for Carmen as she stared at him clearly shocked and appalled.

Nick grabbed his coat off the back of the sofa and moved towards the apartment door as Carmen held it open.

He smirked, before slipping through the open door. Carmen slammed it shut, clearly stunned by the turn of events before leaning against it for support. She raked her hands through her hair as her gaze fixed on the smiling picture of Flack on the mantle piece.

"I am so sorry," she whispered. A sob caught in her throat, tears were rushing down her face now as she slid into a tiny ball against the door and the floor sobbing heavily.

--

Mac stepped off the elevator and into the corridor, smiling down at the little boy holding his hand. He'd picked him up from Adam's in order to surprise Carmen with a treat of taking Thomas on a day out. It still surprised him how much Thomas was growing to look more like his father every day.

"Can we go zoo Grandpa?" Thomas cried excitedly, tugging on Mac's arm.

"We'll grab your mom and see if she's up it," he told the kid smiling. The smile vanished off his face as he looked up and saw the stranger walking towards them. Thomas had gone quiet as well, noticing the stranger approaching.

"Daddy?" he questioned as the stranger passed them. Mac shook his head, a frown etching across his face as he eyeballed the stranger.

"That's not your father, Thomas." Mac said softly, not liking what the scenario he was deducting.

He'd reached Carmen's door by now. Mac knocked gently upon it.

The door opened almost immediately. One look at Carmen's face and Mac knew. The red rimed eyes and the silky dressing gown said it all.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly as she opened the apartment door to let Thomas burst inside.

"Thomas, why don't you go into your room and draw mommy a picture?" Mac asked closing the door behind him. Thomas did as he was told, sensing the mood in the room. The moment his door was closed Carmen burst into a flood of tears.

Mac acting instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, and held her close as if she was his own daughter, comforting her as he had done many times before.

"I can't do this anymore," she wailed into his chest, clutching his shirt.

"I can't Mac; everything here reminds me of him. It's breaking my heart over and over again. The job's too much, it's too hard knowing he's not there and he's never going to be." Mac said nothing to these words. He felt his own heart breaking at her words.

"What will you do instead?" he asked her finally, as she pulled away, drying her face on her sleeve. Carmen shook her head.

"I don't know. Maybe go back home to Portland…" she sat down on the arm of the couch.

"I just can't be here any more. I give up; I can't do this without him."

Carmen's words punctured Cory's heart as Armando clasped her hand to take her back to Limbo.

Cory woke up, tears streaming down her face, still clasped firmly in Danny's arms. She quickly wiped the tears away while sniffing. She felt herself shuddering at the images that still lingered in her thoughts, but when Danny's arms tightened around her, she felt herself calming down.

"Another vision?" Danny asked sleepily.

Cory jumped as Danny uttered those words. She turned to him, seeing the concern shining in his eyes and thought back to Carmen's words about nightmares and being there to support Danny. She snorted to herself as she realized that she was the one that had to deal with the nightmares, not him.

"Cory? _Bella?_ Are you okay?" Danny asked her worriedly.

Cory sighed. "I don't know. I…I can't handle these visions, Danny. They're slowly killing me." She shook her head, the tears returning to her eyes. "All I get to see is my friends having problems moving on after the explosion shatters their lives. I'm not strong enough," she admitted, burying her head in Danny's chest.

Danny ran his hands up and down her back, trying to sooth her. After a couple of minutes, he spoke quietly, "Cory, you are strong enough. I know it seems overwhelming right now, but you've got me. We'll make it through this."

* * *

_**A little treat for you all! I am staging a mass update today so you get a little bit of everything, in celebration of finishing uni. High fives peeps!! The essay period is over and I am free.**_

_**I know over the past months I have been a terrible reviewer and an even worse beta, apologies to everyone in that respect.**_

_**A little special think you to Sparkycsi for being a wonderful beta, she wrote the exchange between Cory and Lucie so you have her to thank for that.**_

_**Plugging: CSI: NY FF Awards! – Show your appreciation by voting for me!**_

_Prnicessg: lol the whole badge thing was seriously something I could see Adam doing because Carmen's been there for him a little and he thinks it's undeserved that Gerrard's being a complete git to her. Lol I love Positive! It makes me grin, I love seeing the way Maddie writes them both it's so sweet! Gerrard will be eating his words in 103 so you won't have to wait too long. Lol The foot tapping is scary! Lol I actually have time to read your stories now!_

_Daisy: lol she would so tell! It's the nature of their relationship, it is just so innocent and I love writing the two of them because it's a different kind of relationship. The return of the badge is in 103. High five for graduating! I hope you had a fab time celebrating! I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up, I've had a lot on so I'll check it out at some point. I feel a little lost on everyone's stories at the min because I've had other things in my mind._

_Katy: Mwhahaha I'm glad you liked it! It was fun to write._

_Lapland: lol Thankies, I'm just hoping to finish this before 200 chaps but not sure if I can see that happening lol, plot bunnies keep throwing themselves my way. I can't believe I got nominated so many times for so much stuff either. Lol Yours is a great story, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to review on it. I love the way you write Mac and Kelli. Lol you just gave me a weird craving for lemonade._

_Maddy Bellows: lol they are just the coolest couple so far, I wanna hug them both all the time lol. Hope your not working too hard. I should be writing another What If chapter in the next week so I'll send it along. Lol I love Positive, every time I get a update on it I'm jumping up and down lol._

_Brown: lol I wish Adam was mine! He's so cute, I wanna hug him all the time, and there's something sexy about him, underneath the geek you know he's smouldering lol. Your wait is over for now!_

_Eva: Howdy, it's nice to meet you! lol I think I answered some of your q's in a pm. I've been flicking thorough your story and I really enjoy it, I'll promise I'll get around to reviewing at again! I am glad you're enjoying this story, it's my baby lol. And I am damn proud of it._

_Blue: lol she seriously is, I have this awesome scene in my head for her for the third Devine lol you'll have to pm me about it if you wanna know but it's just the definition of her. I think I based her temper a little on mine so that's why I love writing about her when she explodes. Oh by the way, that is me on youtube. Lol she as there for him when he shot that guy so in Adam's head their friends for life now, it's really sweet lol._

_Sparkycsi: lol I am a little embarrassed that I am such an awful beta at the min. I have a lot more free time and less stress at the min so feel free to send me stuff because I will actually beta it now. I'm glad you like the way it was written, I wasn't sure how it was going to go down because of the note and such but people seem to enjoy it. _

_Bad2wolf: It's not a prob, we all get pc probs, so long as you're enjoying it. Lol I have a hell of a lot coming up it's just fitting it all in. it just seemed something that Adam would do for her lol He's nice like that!_


	102. Chapter 102: Support Network

Chapter One Hundred and Two

_525,600 minutes _

_how can you measure  
the life of a woman or man?_

_In truths that she learned, _

_or in times that he cried. _

_In bridges he burned, or  
the way that she died._

_RENT – Seasons of Love_

The rain was cascading in sheets from the dark bellowing clouds in the sky. The large droplets were falling onto the umbrellas of the distraught funeral party. We were all cold and shivering, our smart black clothing completely soaked through despite the fact we were sheltered. Flack was holding our own black umbrella above our heads. He was dressed in a simple black suit, a charcoal shirt finished with the only black tie he owned, his matching overcoat fell to the back of his knees as he stood there chin up, oceanic eyes taking in the service. His free arm was wrapped around my waist holding me close against his warm body as I starred straight ahead, my own eyes never leaving the coffin.

He'd lost a friend that day and a part-time partner.

I felt abstract form the whole event, like I didn't belong here. When we'd first arrived, we'd been greeted by Jess's parents. As soon as Paul Angell's eyes had landed on me he'd known who I was and by the way his face contorted in anger, it didn't take a genius to see that her father of all people blamed me. It was only his wife's hand clenching his arm that stopped the man from storming over and more then likely hauling me from the ceremony.

I'd almost turned back then, the words were already in my throat to tell Flack I couldn't do this, it was wrong, by being here I was hurting people.

As if out of nowhere Gus had appeared by my side as my step faltered, a blond haired angel dressed in her own dark pinstriped trouser suit, my saviour at least. Her hand had reached out, clasping mine, tugging my gently forward, giving me a strength that could came only from her. Telling me it wasn't my fault Paul Angell was simply hurting, a grieving father, bitter at losing his only daughter. It wasn't my fault.

The minister was reading out loud, his mellow voice carrying over the bleak cemetery as we all stood there, erect and silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts as the shiny oak coffin descended into the gaping hole that had been carved in the earth almost brutally.

It was hard to believe she was in there. I wished I didn't have to be here, I wished she hadn't been so dedicated to the Job because that would have stopped her from climbing on that ledge. God, I wished and pleaded that she wasn't dead but this was the end, the final nail in the coffin as it were.

We were standing along side Jessica Angell's final resting place.

The ceremony was over now and the crowd of mourners were dispersing, but I still stood there, unable to move. I was riveted to the spot, eyes on that god forsaken hole in front of us, reliving the final moments of Jessica's life over and over again.

Her eyes wide in surprise and terror as she slipped backwards, her hand reaching out, grasping for me.

Hot and salty tears were trailing down my cheeks. I heard nothing but the sound of her scream as she fell.

Would this ever stop hurting? All the pain and the guilt and the fear were crushing me all over again and felt like I couldn't breath. My chest was aching as I tried to hold back all the emotion in me. I couldn't do this, I couldn't show myself breaking down, because it would be an admission of guilt in those other people's eyes and I would not show that. I wouldn't. But as quickly as my determination bubbled it was gone again, a sob caught in my throat. I put my hand to my mouth to stifle it, but I knew that Flack had noticed my body wrench against his.

Flack's strong, warm arm shifted up my back and came to rest around my shoulders, as he pulled me against his firm body, his lips brushing my forehead softly. I turned to face him; wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his neck feeling my walls crumble, unable to fight the surge of emotion at having to admit she was actually gone.

Flack's hand moved to my hair, as he pushed the wet strands that were plastered to my skin back behind my ear. He cupped my chin and tilted it so I was gazing into those beautiful baby blues.

"It's going to be ok…I promise," he whispered, before leaning forward and kissing the tears from my cheeks, his fingertips tracing my jaw line, before he pressed his cheek to mine.

I closed my eyes and nodded, before his hand reached down and entwined his fingers in mine.

Flack was guiding me towards the small group of mourners that had remained behind now. I nodded at them as we came to a stand still amidst the other three cops. Mac and Gus were standing under their own umbrellas. Gus was holding hers over a drenched Danny as he leaned heavily on the walking stick, trying to hide his pained expression. A grim smile crossed his features as he glanced up, his sapphire eyes meeting mine. I could see the sympathy and the compassion in them a he gestured me forward.

"Hey Devine, you missed my superior crime fighting skills back at the lab?" he asked playfully as he drew me into a one armed hug.

According to Cory, who'd been over to see me earlier, Danny's physiotherapy was improving the muscles in his back; he was improving better than the doctors had hoped. Yet I felt him tense up as he squeezed me, I knew it was still painful for him to remain standing for long periods of time, and I knew forty five minutes in the rain had taken its toll on his injury.

"Hey, you look better than the last time I saw you," I said, drawing back and looking up at him.

"How ya holding up?" he asked honestly, his eyes were on my face trying to study me.

I bowed my head.

"I've been a better," I mumbled, with a sniff.

Flack's hand was resting on the small of my back now, a show of support when he knew I wasn't far from the edge. This was as close to an actual breakdown that I had ever gotten and I knew he was feeling protective of me.

Danny exchanged a look I couldn't read with Mac, who was standing to my right. I pursed my lips together, averting my gaze. He wanted to talk about my badge.

Gus winked at me, a reassuring smile crossing her angelic features as Mac's hand came to rest gently on my arm, diverting my attention back to him.

"We need to talk," he stated almost apologetically.

I bit my lip before nodding my agreement.

"We do," I returned.

Flack stepped in between us, shielding me from Mac's analytical stare for a second.

"We should move on to somewhere warm and dry before we begin this conversation," he said firmly, looking Mac straight in the eyes and daring him to protest.

"There's a group heading to Ray's right now, we could grab a table and talk there," Mac offered.

"I have to get back; I didn't bring my pain meds," Danny broke in, his voice low, his hand resting discreetly on his back.

Flack looked torn for a second, he didn't want to leave me but at the same time, he wanted to help his best friend, especially with the fact that Danny was now wincing. Danny would never admit he was in an antagonizing amount of pain, but from what Cory had said I knew it was there. So I made the decision for Flack.

"You go…I'll stay with Mac and Gus, you can meet us at Ray's," I reasoned.

Flack bowed his head at me pointedly, looking deep into my eyes.

"I'll be fine," I told him softly.

"I'll play designated driver and take her and Mac to Ray's if you meet us there, I'll drive you all back," Gus offered.

Flack crossed his arms over his chest, looking stubborn and unsure.

Gus tilted her head at Flack, a solemn, stern expression on her face. Flack's sigh was audible as he kissed my cheek lightly.

"I need to check on Sam and Thomas anyway," Flack told the group, slipping his keys out of his coat pocket and falling into step along side Danny, who was moving at a slower pace than usual.

"Thanks," I muttered to Gus. "I think he needs a little break from me at the minute. He's getting all protective because he caught some of the other cops talking behind my back, when we first got here."

"Things just need to die down. There's confusion over the whole thing at the minute but as soon as the real story comes out the rumours will stop," Mac informed me as we set off on the direction of Gus's car.

"I hope so; it's only a matter of time before Flack punches someone out," I admitted, shaking my head at the whole damn mess.

* * *

Sam was not having a good day; in fact she knew her day was going to end badly because Carmen and Flack were going to kill her. But in all fairness, they had misled her.

Flack had told her looking after Thomas was easy; he was very, very wrong. So far the kid had managed to single handily scatter toys across the living room carpet, had actually drawn on the wall with crayons, she'd had to move the table next to the apartment door left slightly to cover it up. Her cell phone was now broken because Thomas had decided to take it off the couch while she was filling up his sippy cup and flush it down the toilet, as a result, the bathroom was now water logged, and the toilet blocked, she was on her hands and knees cleaning up the mess.

That's until she heard a loud and sudden wail erupting from the direction of the living room. Sam was up in seconds, clothes dripping wet from trying to get rid of the water. She sprinted from the bathroom and into the living room in milliseconds and found herself gasping at the horror in front of her.

Thomas was sitting on the couch next to her open hand bag, the contents of which were spilled all over the couch and around the tiny child as he flailed his fists in the air sobbing next to a small pool of vomit and an empty bag of marshmallows she'd bought to make hot chocolate with. The shimmering lip-gloss was stuck to the arm of the sofa, whilst her blusher now left pink powder stains marring the black leather couch.

Sam's first instinct was to pick up Thomas, which she did, unable to tear her eyes from the mess around her as she patted his back soothingly. This was apparently a bad move because the next minute Thomas's small body shuddered, the back of her top felt damp as Sam realized what had just happened. Thomas had just thrown up down her back.

The little boy let out another squeal, squirming against Sam and screaming at the same time. She was not equipped to deal with this, she knew that. She was out of her depth the moment Thomas had flushed her cell phone down the toilet. She needed help because she was literally seconds from bursting into a fit of tears and sobbing along with Thomas feeling utterly overwhelmed. She had no cell phone, no numbers and…

Her eyes fell on a small white slip of card on the couch. Sam reached for it still trying to juggle the wailing child and Carmen's home phone. It was Hawke's number. He'd given it to her the other night after…

Sam bit her lip suppressing that thought before her eyes flickered to the phone on the coffee table.

Could she really do this? Call the man she'd practically thrown herself at and led on? Tears were welling in her eyes now. She needed help desperately otherwise her and Thomas were going to be in serious trouble. She couldn't cope with this.

Decision made she dialled Hawkes number…he picked up first ring.

* * *

The car journey was quiet as Flack drove through the streets of New York skilfully, trying not to jerk the car around too much for his friend's sake.

"How's she holding up?" Danny asked quietly, his eyes focused on Flack's face as he tried to stay upright to relieve the pressure on his back.

"I have to keep reminding myself she's tougher than I think she is," Flack muttered, his jaw clenched.

"You've been defending her at the station house," Danny remarked, shaking his head. "You know what it's like, we all do. They were doing it when I hit that undercover cop and they were doing it when the Dean Truby fiasco erupted. You know that stuff like this happens; you can't go around threatening to batter the crap out of everyone that says a bad thing about your wife. It's going to happen in a situation like this."

Flack's fists tightened around the steering wheel, until his knuckles turned white.

"She doesn't deserve this Danny. She's had it rough…I just wanna protect her from it, she doesn't need this," Flack growled. "They're saying she should have had Angell's back. Angell made that decision on her own accord; she got on that ledge and Carmen tried her damn best to pull her back."

Flack hesitated before glancing at Danny, wondering heather he should be telling the other man this. He needed to rant, to get it off his chest, he needed to vent.

"She dreams about it you know, at night. She wakes up in the night crying, and every time she tries to hide it…" Flack's voice was soft as he recounted the past week to Danny. "It's killing me seeing her go through this, she doesn't need the talk at the station or Gerrard trying to keep her badge. It's just…This is getting out of control and I'm scared she's just gonna give up, not just on the job but on our marriage. I'm scared if she gives up the job she's not gonna wanna cop husband anymore and that's that. She's the only person that really gets it, she gets the job and me and if she's not doing the job, it makes me think is she going to stop understanding too. This sounds as selfish as hell, I know it does."

There was silence between the two of them; Flacks jaw clenched tightly as he kept his eyes focused n the road, not wanting to catch a look at Danny's expression.

"She's thinking of quitting isn't she?" Danny questioned quietly.

"She asked Gus to inquire into a teaching position at the university. She doesn't know that Gus told me. She said it was in case she didn't get her badge back but I think I know Carmen better. I think she'd gonna give up the badge," Flack confided.

"You know she loves you right? It's not because your both cops; it's because of you as a man. You could work as anything and she'd still be married to you because she loves you Flack. You can see it. Come on seriously stop acting like a girl and think about it. She married and had a kid by you. Before Carmen met you there was not a chance in hell anyone was gonna get her down that aisle again. Let alone have children and now she has a ring on her finger and a baby so, stop worrying about change and go with it. We have enough bullshit in our lives without making problems for ourselves," Danny said as Flack pulled up outside his apartment building.

"You're right, I know you're right…It's just hard."

"Hey, I didn't say it was easy," Danny insisted before laying it down neatly. "The point is things change and there's nothing in the world that is going to change that. Carmen is never going to leave you, she loves you but you need to support her decision if she does decide to do something different," Danny told him as they sat in the car.

The back of Flack's hand was pressed against his mouth as he sighed, and turned his head to meet his friend's gaze.

"I never thought I'd be taking advice from you of all people, Messer," Flack said with a small smile.

Danny's hand was on the door handle as he shrugged.

"Cory's rubbed off on me," he stated before, opening the car door a little. "It's scary man, we're both all grown up now." Danny gave Flack a wide grin as he spoke.

"You got the ring yet?" Flack asked half serious, remembering a past conversation the two of them had had before Danny had been attacked.

"Sitting in my desk drawer. I'm gonna wait until I'm all healed up so I can do the whole thing properly. Getting down on one knee is gonna be a problem with the way this back is at the moment."

"Learn from my mistake, chose the right moment, not randomly in the middle of high profile serial killer case, girls apparently do not like to be that surprised," Flack reminded Danny.

Danny let out a snigger at Flack words before he winced.

"I'll bear that in mind," Danny remarked before opening the car door fully.

"She'll be fine you know; you both will be," Danny told his friend sternly.

Flack's oceanic eyes met Danny's sapphire blue.

"I just needed someone else to tell me that," Flack admitted as Danny managed to haul himself out of the car, grasping his walking stick.

"I'll call later see how things went with Mac," Danny told Flack before they exchanged brief goodbyes and retreated to their next destination.

* * *

Hawkes didn't know what he was expecting when he banged on the door in front of him. Sam had called twenty minutes previously in a flood of tears, babbling hysterically about Thomas, marshmallows and multi- coloured vomit. Whatever was in there, it did not sound good.

In the back of his mind he was wondering why he was even here. Sam admitted freely she'd led him on the other night; it had hurt when she'd knocked him back. The dull ache in his chest still burned, but now he found himself unable to keep away. She needed someone right now and he was there, ready and willing. He knew she was struggling with Thomas. He remembered from a previous conversation she wasn't experienced with children, but Carmen and Flack didn't have any other choice. Everyone else was covering the absence of Carmen, Mac and Danny at work, so even they could not attend Angell's funeral.

The Crime Lab was stretched thinner than ever before, and Adam had looked at him in utter terror when he'd asked him to cover for an hour or so, but being the nice type of guy that Adam was, he'd done it. He knew he could rely on Adam at the best and worst of times. The truth was Adam had covered him on more than one occasion lately, and although Hawkes was struggling not to make it a pattern, he knew it was swiftly becoming one. He was finding it tough to juggle everything, but he was managing.

Sam yanked open the door, and Hawkes found himself faced with a sobbing, screaming toddler and a tearful Sam. Hawkes held up the bag in his hand.

"I brought you one of my spare shirts," he stated in a matter of fact manner, before stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind him.

He propped the bag against the table next to the door, frowning a little because it seemed to be slightly further away from the door than he remembered. Shaking his head, he focused on the problem at hand. His dark eyes rose to meet Sam's golden ones, glistening with tears, as Thomas wailed loud enough to pierce ear drums. She looked completely shell shocked and frazzled and he couldn't help but want to brush the hair away from her face. Instead he did something more productive.

"Hand him over here and go get yourself changed and then we'll tackle the rest of the problem," he told her, eying up the pool of throw up on the couch, and then the one trailing towards the door.

Sam nodded silently before picking up the bag and retreating into Carmen and Don's bedroom to change. It occurred to Hawkes that it was odd that she didn't use the bathroom but he shrugged it off, it worked more to his advantage. Carmen probably kept kid's Gravol in the medicine cabinet and by the look of it Thomas was sorely in need of it. He strode towards the bathroom muttering soothing words to the child as he pushed open the door and stared in horror at the scene before him.

The bathroom was flooded with water from the overflowing toilet, thankfully it all looked clean. There was a discarded sponge and towels lying all over the floor soaked next to a lifeless cell phone. He was beginning to get the idea what the hell had happened here.

"You must have been a little terror huh?" Hawkes said to Thomas ruffling his fine black hair.

Thomas merely slumped over his shoulder sniffing. Hawkes waded into the water logged bathroom and opened the medicine cupboard searching he shelves before claiming the Gravol.

"This should settle your stomach kiddo," Hawkes told Thomas before retreating into the living room; he slipped his shoes off outside the bathroom door so not to tread water onto Carmen's laminate flooring.

Sam was already in the kitchen armed with a bucket of water and a soapy sponge to clear up the mess on the sofa. And the floor. Hawkes set Thomas down on the kitchen table before opening the bottle and grabbing a spoon out of one of the drawers. The little boy kicked his legs looking weary and sulky as Hawkes poured some of the medicine bottle onto the spoon.

"Come on little man, open up for Uncle Hawkes," Hawkes crooned at the pouting toddler.

Thomas did as he was told, before swallowing the medicine and reaching up towards Hawkes with both hands calling out "Haw, Haw." Sheldon picked the little boy up before turning to face Sam, her lips were clamped together, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she scrubbed at the couch.

"I was thinking how about we get this place cleaned up and then I'll take you and Thomas back to my apartment, give Flack and Carmen a little peace when they get back."

He was thinking more about Carmen's state of mind at the moment, the day would be hard enough on her without her learning about Thomas terrorising Sam.

Sam glanced up at Hawkes, and he felt his heart begin to beat faster as those golden eyes fixed on him.

"Are you sure that's really a good idea?" Sam asked pointedly.

Hawkes tilted his head at her, with an unimpressed look.

"I do have self restraint Samantha," Hawkes reminded her, Thomas's head was resting in the crook of his neck as he rocked the small child from side to side.

"How did you do that?" Sam gaped, at Thomas now asleep on Hawkes shoulder.

"You wore him down. I just gave him Gravol and one of the side effects is that he makes children drowsy. Plus, he's had a big day in the realm of toddler's." Hawke's dimpled as he smiled, his hand smoothing down Thomas's fine dark hair.

"I'm sorry you had to come over and deal with this, unfortunately yours was the only number I had because Baby Flack decided to flush my cell phone and Carmen and Don don't own an address book." Sam let out a sigh, her gaze slipping to the bathroom, dread spreading across her features.

"I'll take the bathroom, if you wanna finish the couch and the floor." Hawkes offered.

Samantha shook her head before reaching out and taking the baby from him.

"I couldn't ask you to do that. I know you shouldn't even be here right now," Sam reminded him as she strode towards Thomas's bedroom to lay the little boy down in his bed while she cleaned the mess.

By the time she returned the bathroom door was propped open and Hawkes was already on his hands and knees using a selection of towels and sponges to mop up the water that covered the bathroom.

Sam shook her head before getting to work on the sofa. The both of them worked in silence, locked in their own thoughts as they worked separately but towards the same goal.

"I think it's best if we take Thomas back to my place. I called Flack and he sounded exhausted. I know Carmen's not going to be much better. Angell's death has really hit her hard," Hawkes said softly to Sam as he threw the towels in the washing machine and turned it on.

"Where will we sleep?" Sam inquired, standing up and tugging the bucket over to the kitchen sink to pour away the contents.

The sofa and the bathroom were clean now and she was beginning to feel weary and tired herself. She knew she'd be glad to have the help especially taking care of Thomas, but this was Sheldon, a guy she knew she had feelings for and that she was struggling to control them. Yet, she knew that Hawkes was a gentleman. He knew her situation so she didn't have to worry about him trying anything because he knew he honoured that. It was a nice change to the men in her life.

"You and Thomas take the bed, and I'll take the couch, it folds out. I use it all the time." Hawkes pursed his lips together as if he'd just spilt some horrible secret.

Sam frowned at him, she could tell there was something he wasn't saying underneath the surface, but she couldn't tell what it was. Sam shook it off it was none of her business anyway.

In all honesty, it would be nice to get a little help with Thomas, and she wanted to show Hawkes that they could be friends. He was a wonderful, conscientious and caring man and she liked being around him because he made her feel as if she was interesting too, and he never made her feel stupid. She always felt as if they were equals and she knew whatever she told him would stay with him and go no further.

Sam knew he was right when he said that Carmen and Flack needed the night off. Flack had been working tirelessly to support his wife and Carmen was trying to make life changing decisions, on top of that she knew form Flack that her boss was going to add to the situation with a request of his own. That's why she decided to give in.

"So long as you've cleared it with Flack," she said finally, for a second she swore she saw Hawkes eyes light up.

"I'll take you over on the way back from the lab; I'm on shift for another two hours after that I'm all yours," Hawkes told her with a wide smile.

Sam felt a shiver run up her spine at those words and tried to suppress the salacious thoughts rushing through her head.

"I'll grab Thomas's stuff and then we can be on our way," Sam informed Hawkes as she began to pick up bits and pieces from around the room.

Hawkes found himself watching her, resisting the overpowering urge to kiss that beautiful face. He could tell Sam was unhappy. It pained him to see her like that, and he wanted nothing more then to take away all of her trauma. Adam didn't talk about it much, but he knew that both him and his older sister had been victims of abuse and it was reflected sometimes in the way they both flinched whenever someone made a sudden movement. He knew the signs, he'd seen it enough during his residency, yet as he watched Sam tidy, he realized she never carried herself like a victim usually did. He admired her immense personal strength and he knew that somewhere deep in his heart that he adored her more than he had any other woman he had met in his life time.

Sam glanced at him over her shoulder. a small smile curving over her lips.

"What?" she asked feeling slightly self conscious.

Hawkes crossed his arms over his chest before shaking his head.

"Nothing," he whispered.

He was glad he'd have someone to come home to tonight.

* * *

Cory was sitting in her office, staring outside at the rain wishing she was at the funeral with Danny, when her cell phone rang. "Reid?" she answered quietly, still lost in her thoughts.

"_Cory,"_ Papa Messer said pleasantly.

"Mr. Messer," Cory replied with a sigh. She really didn't want to deal with him right now. "How can I help you?"

Papa Messer sighed in reply. _"Lucie's not going to get out of jail, is she?"_

Cory pursed her lips. "I don't know; it's not looking good right now. Why? Won't her going to jail save you some trouble?"

"_Yes and no. __I've been doing some thinking; when she goes to trial, it's going to come out that she is Danny and Louie's mother. I need to tell him, but I don't know how."_

Cory heard the resignation in his voice and she fought down some anger. "You knew that it would come to this, Reggie. That's why both Flack and I have been telling you that you need to tell him. Keeping the secret longer just makes it harder to tell and causes more pain in the end."

Papa Messer heard the censor in her voice and winced a little bit. The tone she used reminded him a lot of Lucie before they both got into the business. He also heard something else in her tone. _"You're speaking from experience here, aren't you?"_

Cory nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah, I am."

He sighed wearily. _"How do I tell him? How's he going to react?"_

"Do you want me to be completely honest with you?" Cory asked.

"_Yeah."_

"I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass; he's going to be pissed. Livid probably. It may destroy what little relationship that y'all have built back up, but if you explain why, he may come around. Don't expect it to be easy."

Reggie sighed, not liking her response. _"When do I tell him?"_

"As soon as possible," she replied instantly, making a decision. "He should be back at my apartment soon, likely after the funeral is over since he still can't stand for any extended length of time."

Reggie nodded. _"Okay. I'll tell him tonight. It'll be better that he hears it for me."_

"Yes, it will. I'll give y'all some time to talk and then I'll head home," Cory answered wearily. _Then I'll do my damnedest to pick up the scattered pieces._

"Thank you, Cory. I hope that Danny appreciates what you two have together," he said softly as he hung up the phone, trying to steel himself for the upcoming conversation with his youngest son.

* * *

_**First off apologises**__** for taking so long. I've been busy and as some of you know working on my Miami ff. There will be more to this soon, as I'm getting back in the swing of it.**_

_**Plugging: Someday by Mauveine it's a great Danny fic!**_

_**BEG: lol I'm glad you like them as a couple. I do my best to make them work because marriage is not easy but they need each other to get by. And he is a total pillar of support. I wanted to make the talk logical and realistic. The visions are meant too and it only gets worse for here on out. There is no way I write Sam as well as you do and she deserves some normalcy as she's about to get out through the wringer. I'm mean to OC's lol.**_

_**Blue: lol you'll have to see what happens I can be a wicked girl lol. The vision was upsetting though and of course so are all the effects.**_

_**Daisy: It's a little more than a friendship, sorry to disappoint you. Everyone loses faith at some point and of course Cory is bearing the brunt of these visions I feel for her myself. You won't learn it until after Carmen runs the lab. He tells it to certain person and then a certain other person happens upon it by surprise.**_

_**Sparky: Woot I can beta again. Lol That's because everyone is just so busy in their lives so you have to get all angles. Lol I'm trying to space the visions out a little but it is fast approaching.**_

_**Mauveine: I just wanted to make the scene be lovable. Lol Sam and Hawkes are a dynamic and sexy couple, they just seem to have a great chemistry an he can give her everything she needs.**_

_**Princessg: lol maybe a few more now I had to cut this one in half. I keep meaning to catch up with your story but I'm having real trouble. I keep getting distracted. I'm glad you're still enjoying this!**_

_**Maddy: the world is not that scary, it's just a pain in the ass! I'm glad you love this chapter, it was hard to write but it was so worth it! I'm trying too keep it moving on.**_

_**Bad: The visions get worse too, I feel really bad for them with all the visions to come. That's a little what if in it's self. If it helps I'm not a patient person either.**_

_**Soccer: lol you made me blush, that was a truly sweet comment! I hope this keeps you riveted there will be more chaos to come.**_

_**Ax: I'm planning on writing Admissions into the story but in the third Devine. I wanted to write being proactive but in his own little way. Lol I may be a bad girl but you love it!**_

_**Jo: You'll find out a little bit about Zach in the next few chapters. Cory's got a lot more to come as well. Thanks for the review!**_


	103. Chapter 103: What Hasn't Been Said

Chapter One Hundred and Three

_You'll never see me fall apart  
In the words of a broken heart  
It's just emotion taking me over  
Caught up in sorrow  
Lost in the song  
_

_Destiny's Child – Emotions_

Ray's was the local cop bar closest to the station house; it had a friendly homely feeling to the place, which I guessed made drinking a whole lot easier when you came off shift. Today the bar was brimming with more cops than usual, the majority either clad in dress uniform or a varying array of suits. Angell's funeral had had a big turn out; she was well liked and had come from a well known family of cops, just like the Flacks. Apparently it hadn't been a surprise for her parents when their only daughter had joined the ranks of the police academy.

All eyes were on me as I stepped into the bar, a breath behind Mac. He was holding the door open as I shook out the umbrella that Flack had given me and followed him in. The voices had slowed to dull murmurs now, and people were returning to their drinks, I knew it wasn't paranoia to think that they were all still talking about my role in Angell's death.

Mac's expression was grimly set as he led me to an empty booth; I suspected he'd reserved earlier. He was striving for as much privacy as you could get in such a crowded atmosphere. I already knew the questions he was going to ask; the problem was I didn't actually have the answers.

Gus was already at the bar; shoving through the boisterous men near the front to by the alcohol I needed to dim the numbness that ached inside of me. I needed to feel anything besides the emptiness that wallowed inside me. The intense pain had been swallowed up by it and now there was simply nothing.

"So we need to talk?" I addressed, as I slid into the booth.

Mac clasped his hands together in front of himself before nodding. He was biting his bottom lip and that was never a good sign. It meant he was worried and being aware of the fact Mac was worried was frightening.

"Carmen…" Mac began; his eyes met mine, honest and open as always.

"I need you back." I blinked momentarily thinking I'd misheard as he spoke.

My stunned silence became a sign for Mac to continue as he ploughed on with what he had to say.

"We're understaffed and undermanaged. Danny may not be back for a while and Adam needs a mentor. Hawkes is too preoccupied with other things in his life at the moment and me and Stella…" Mac let out a deep sigh. "We're trying to have a life outside of the lab."

He reached across the table his hands taking mine. I found my attention diverted to them as he clasped my cold ones tightly in his larger warmer hands.

"You need to make a decision about what you want. I want you to come back but I need to know that you do to. Flack's told me that you're not sure, but Carmen I can't keep the job open for you, the pressures already on to hire a new CSI if you're not back within a week," Mac confided.

I turned my head away from him, unsure of how to proceed. My words slipped out before I could even think, they were more an admittance than an answer but I had to get them out, Mac had to understand.

"I doubt myself a lot Mac, I just… I don't know whether it's the right decision. Whether I should call it quits. I lost my confidence when Angell went over that roof. The department shrink cleared me but I still feel… The fire's not there anymore, I don't know how to be a cop and get it back," I murmured, raking my hands through my tangled hair.

Mac's hands were still flat on the table where I'd left them. I wrapped my arms around myself unable to look him directly in the eye; I couldn't stand to see the disappointment in his face.

"You are the only person I would trust to run that Crime Lab, that's how much faith I have in you..."

I was on my feet instantaneously, unable to listen anymore because those words were piercing me in ways that Mac would never know. They overwhelmed me and stole my numbness away leaving only the war that raged inside me.

"I need to run the bathroom," I managed before making a break for the ladies, ignoring the stares and the whispers.

I slammed my way through the door; thanking Christ it was empty as I bolted it behind me. The walls were grey and claustrophobic, I found myself hunched over the sink, splashing cold water on my face in attempt to straight myself out. I could do this, I had to. There was genuine fear there, hanging in my chest like a lead weight and I was finding it impossible to shift.

I raised my head and glanced at the door, my fingers bruising as I clutched the porcelain sink tightly. Outside that door was a life times worth of decisions. Did I trust myself to make them? The truth was no. I couldn't trust my own judgement anymore.

I'd spent my whole life being a cop; did I really want to give that up?

I didn't know anymore. Being a cop came with risks, but being a civilian again scared the shit out of me. I didn't know what how to be normal.

I took a long deep breath. I couldn't run away from this. If I ran now I would always regret not doing the job again and I couldn't live with that. It was part of me now.

I was trembling as I took small steps towards the door, unbolting the lock I one fluid motion. The silence that had existed inside the locked bathroom escaped when I pulled the door open letting the smoke and chatter wash over me as I strode back into the bar area, slowly making my way towards Mac.

I heard my name; I didn't know whether it was in passing or being called, I turned my head as the room grew silent, Gus's broad Southern accent took priority over the room.

"I swear to God Jacobs if I hear you say anything like that again, you are gonna be riding a desk for the rest of your shitty little career, you got that?"

Gus was toe to toe with a guy I recognized from patrol, her finger jabbing at his chest, her features a mix of fury and anxiety.

"She should have had Angell's back Broussard; I'm just saying what everyone else here is thinking," Jacobs hurled back, before his eyes came to rest to me, standing over Gus's shoulder, hands on my hips defiantly.

The whole bar was watching the show before them as Gus turned to see me standing there behind her. I could see the conflict in her eyes, she wanted to protect me from this, but I'd had enough of being defended by other people. I had to stand on my own two feet now; at the very least I had to save some face.

"I'm just saying what everyone else thinks Devine," Jacobs squared his shoulders as he spoke.

I found myself smiling, a callous one, bred of frustration and above all annoyance. The pain, the guilt and the fear had gone and now there was a fire raging deep inside me. I was sick of this, I was sick of taking the blame.

"Is this? Is this what you all think, that I didn't have Angell's back?" I addressed the room, deciding that this was the best way to deal with everything.

No one had the guts to answer even Jacobs had turned his head away from me while I focused on selective individuals around the room trying to read their faces.

Someone stood up. I focused on the young meek uniform and raised an eyebrow as he opened his mouth to speak.

"You did everything you could ma'am, I was there on the rooftop and I saw everything. There wasn't anything you could have done, what matters is the fact you tried, even though you knew it was hopeless you tried."

I stared at him dumbfounded for a second; the rest of the room took in his words as he dropped back down into his seat.

"Thank you," I returned sincerely as the kid shrugged.

"Just telling the truth ma'am," he stated.

I searched the room until my eyes came to Mac, he was on his feet standing beside the booth, watching me. On his face was something I thought I'd never see, a smile.

"You know, I became a cop for the same reasons you all did, and I have strived to do the best I could under the pressure and in the face of immense danger. I have been almost killed because of this job, my marriage almost fell apart because I give my heart and soul to this job, day in and day out and this is the thanks I get. You know this job has taken me to hell and back, but you wanna know something I couldn't give two shits what anyone else here thinks because I earned that badge and I took the same oath as you did and I am damn well going to do my job whether any of you here likes it or not!" My voice carried, crystal clear across the stillness of the room.

A few minutes later I found myself back in the booth sitting across from Mac, my head in my hands as groaned out loud, my face flushing red. No words passed between us for several minutes, before Mac chose to break the silence.

"You still wanna run the Crime Lab?" Mac inquired.

I peered at him through my fingers.

"Do you still want me to run it?" I retorted as talk resumed in the bar.

"Would I be asking if I didn't?" Mac pointed out.

"How about I'll do my best." It was the best that I could offer but Mac didn't want anything more than that from me and for that I was grateful.

Gus was sliding into the booth now a bottle of tequila and a pile of shot glasses in one hand and a pitcher of beer in the other. Ray was following close behind with pint glasses, one filled with coke for Gus; he winked at me before setting them down on the wooden table top and disappearing back behind the bar.

Gus was already cracking open the bottle of tequila and pouring me a single straight shot. Mac was taking his time pouring himself a beer.

"Quite a speech you put on there," she remarked watching as I rolled the shot glass between my fingers.

"You know me; I like to put on a good show," I returned before throwing my head back and downing the shot.

The fiery liquid burned all the way down my gullet, warming the insides of my stomach; I slammed the glass on the table as Gus smirked, before taking a sip of her coke.

"Been a while?" she inquired as Mac chuckled.

"Since my last shot of tequila," I informed her as she poured me another.

"You may as well indulge; I get to be the designated driver tonight." Gus pouted playfully.

I shrugged at her before downing the second shot.

"I thought we agreed to regulate her alcohol intake Broussard, not encourage it," Flack smirked as I scooted over to let him slide into the booth besides me.

"She deserves it. You missed her grand speech to the bar; she's taking her badge back and running the lab," Gus informed him, setting out another glass before pouring for both me and Flack.

Flack and I took our drinks before he turned to me, his eyes studying my face intently.

"I think we should make a toast to Angell," Flack announced raising his glass to me.

I nodded my agreement before raising my own glass. Gus and Mac followed suit as our drinks met in the middle.

"To those who have fallen long before their time," Flack said softly.

"And to those who pursue the good fight in their absence," Mac added, nodding at the three of us each in turn.

The tequila was flowing down my throat for the third time in fifteen minutes and the world was already starting to seem like a happier place.

"How's Sam doing with Thomas?" Gus questioned, eying the bottle of tequila enviously.

It was still another month until she could even contemplating drinking again and I knew that had to be killing her.

"Alright as far as I can tell, she called me on the way over. They're staying with Hawkes tonight on his fold out. The two of them thought we may want a little time to ourselves." The words were left unspoken between us.

It had been a long time since the two of us had had the place to ourselves. Flack's hand took mine under the table, and I knew that meant there was no pressure involved and it made me feel relieved.

Gus was already pouring my fourth shot, I glanced at Flack; he already knew what I was thinking before the words came out.

"I am fully prepared to carry you home, Princess," he reassured me as my hand enclosed around the tiny glass.

"Good, because it's been a very long day," I sighed, tapping the bottom of the shot glass on the table, feeling restless.

"It gets better you know?" Flack told me, and I knew just from the look in his eyes that he whole heartedly believed that.

I just wish I had his hope.

"That's what I'm counting on." I whispered before kinking glasses with him and tipping the fourth shot down my throat, all under Mac's watchful eyes.

* * *

Danny was lying on Cory's couch, watching the Yankee's play, but not really paying attention to the game. He was bored. He hated the extra time he'd had to think recently, and while he knew in his heart that he wasn't ready to go back, he wanted to go back to work.

He hated not being able to do anything. Watching Cory leave for work everyday was like a knife driving into his heart.

He sighed, hating that he was feeling jealous of his girlfriend when she wasn't the one that was injured, but couldn't help but think back to the times that he had taken care of her. She never seemed to be out of her job for long. Even when she'd been shot, she had gone back to work within a couple of weeks.

The depression was washing over him, embracing him, when the door buzzer sounded. It's loudness shocking in the room. Struggling, he managed to get off the couch and struggled through the pain to the door.

"Yes?"

"Danny? It's your dad. Can I come up?" the voice asked through the box.

Shrugging, he pressed the button to open the door and a few minutes later, Papa Messer walked in, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Danny glanced at his father, seeing a hesitant look on his face. "Pop? You okay?"

Papa Messer sighed, running his hand along the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "You might want to sit down," he said in a grave voice.

Danny felt a panic rush through him, and the icy fear settle into his stomach. "What's wrong?" he asked, still standing, fear telling him that someone he loved was dead.

Papa Messer shook his head and sighed, adeptly reading Danny's look. "No one is dead, son, but I do want to talk with you. Let's sit down." He started into the living room, inspecting the apartment.

As he sat on a chair, he was stunned by the elegant, yet practical surroundings. You could tell that Cory had some money just by the location of the apartment, but her furnishings were down to earth. _Good. She has a stable head on her shoulders,_ he thought.

Danny followed his father into the room, alive with speculation. "What's going on, Pop?" he asked, still feeling a sense of dread.

"I think it's time for me to tell you about your mother," he replied.

Danny furrowed his brows, not understanding. His mother had been dead for a couple of years.

He rarely thought about his mom anymore, since she had died of lung cancer shortly after he'd made it into the academy. She was the one that had pushed him to pursue his dream and to step out of the family business. "What about Mom? She's been dead for ten years."

Papa Messer shook his head. "Not Lil, son. Your birth mother."

Danny shook his head in confusion. He knew that she died when he was two, so why was his dad talking about her. "She died when I was two, why is this important?"

Papa Messer cringed slightly, feeling a little remorse for the lie that he had told both his sons. "She's not dead, Danny."

Danny felt surprise run though him. "What do you mean, she's not dead?" he asked in a deadly calm voice.

"I mean that she didn't die like I told you and Louie," he snapped back. "We got divorced."

Danny's surprise turned to anger. "So you lied to me. What did you not want me to know that you and my mother got a divorce? Or did you chase her away and keep her from us?" he returned.

"Neither one, Daniel and you will not take that tone with me, young man."

Danny just looked at him, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Don't talk to me like I'm your son, Father. You lost that right a long time ago when you abandoned me because of my career choice."

Papa Messer sighed, knowing that the conversation was going worse than he expected. "Look," he started in a calmer voice. "While you don't need to know all the details, let's just say it's a good thing that your mother left us."

Danny snorted in derision.

"You're mother is Lucinda Garvey, Danny," Papa Messer revealed.

Danny felt a lead weight drop into his gut. "What?"

"You're mother is Lucinda Garvey."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Danny said. "My mother is the leader of the Corleone family. Yeah right."

Papa Messer shook his head. "It's true. Lucie and I got married, but after we had you and Louie, she decided that she wanted something more. Power. So we divorced with the understanding that she would never see you again and you would never been told this."

"Then why in God's name are you telling me?" Danny asked, his emotions running wild. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he also couldn't grasp that his father would make up something like that.

"Because of the trial. I'm afraid and Cory's afraid that it will come out in the trial and we didn't want you blindsided."

Danny stopped still upon hearing Cory's name. "What do you mean? Cory knows and she didn't tell me?"

"I told her not to."

Danny's temper snapped. "Get the hell out of here. I don't want you here!" he yelled.

Papa Messer looked into his son's devastated face, feeling horrible for telling him that Cory knew and for once didn't argue. He got up quietly and made his way to the door.

"I hope you can come to terms with this, Danny. I almost lost you and don't want to go through that again," he said softly as he walked out of the door.

* * *

Matt watched Taylor curiously as she perched on the couch watching as she hammered at the keys on the laptop furiously. He rubbed his eyes wearily, the NYPD had been putting him under immense pressure lately, his work load had doubled in the last week due to the bosses desire to shut down more of the Corleone family business.

Every night he left for a raid, kissing Taylor tenderly. He never said goodbye but he knew she could taste it in his kiss and the way she responded, her body clinging to him as if it was their last moment on earth. That was his job as a cop and she understood it well.

There were times he'd wanted to say screw it and quit, pick up something safer, settle down and start a family. Taylor deserved that, she deserved more than that but he knew he couldn't give up the job as easy as that. If she ever asked him to quit he'd do it in an instant, but he knew she never would, just like he'd never ask her to stop being a journalist.

Things had changed now though, he had an opportunity to give her something back.

Matt sipped his coffee, feeling a little bit saddened at the situation before approaching it.

"Tay…"

She cut him off by raising one hand, the other still typing.

"I just need two more minutes and then you can talk all you want about weddings and place settings," she murmured as she worked diligently on the laptop.

He watched her, still conflicted but caught up in her motions. She looked stunning in her element; her dark hair was drawn back away from her face and into a tidy pony tail. She was biting her bottom lip in concentration as her beautiful eyes searched the screen. He loved seeing Taylor like this, her studious face showed her drive and compassion and he adored those qualities. They were part of the reason he'd asked her to marry him.

He watched as she tapped "send" before turning her attention to him, scooping up several papers and dumping them in a pile on the coffee table before she shut the laptop and set it down on top of the pile.

"What's up?" she asked with a small smile, studying his body language as he perched on the arm of one of the other chairs.

"The doctor said you shouldn't be thinking about going back to work for another three weeks at least," Matt chided, feeling slightly concerned.

"I don't have a job anymore," she pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the way he was acting.

She could tell there was something wrong, there had been something wrong over the as few days but she hadn't been able to out her finger on it and every time she asked he was evasive.

"Yet your still working on a column, the apartment's been covered in research for days," he returned, picking up a stack of papers and scanning through them.

He didn't really mind, she could tell by the way his smile curved across his lips as he spoke. He was used to her disorganization, in fact on some level he revelled in it. The apartment looked lived in ever since she'd moved in, before they'd met it had been somewhere to lay his head during the tiny breaks between his long shifts.

After Elena had left, he'd thrown himself into work, it had been his saviour away from all of the hurt he'd suffered his ex wife's hands. Elena had been seriously money originated when she'd left, the apartment had been empty and dreary, she'd taken all the expensive items with her, despite the fact they had all come from his money.

Taylor was a breath of fresh air in his life, they bought things together and she had her own income. She contributed to everything and somehow even when she wasn't here, her presence lingered making the apartment feel more like home than it ever had before.

"I have to do something while you're working…" Taylor interrupted his thoughts with her playful tone as he took in the words on the page in front of him.

"Tay…" Matt set down the paper on his lap, his eyes narrowing. "Are you writing an article on the Corleone family?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"Sent it two minutes ago to the editor of the Post, he's been trying to recruit me ever since I left the Daily," she stated, with a determined look in her eyes.

Matt pursed his lips shut, knowing that this was a battle he could definitely not win.

"Flack gave me some help to add some of the finishing touches; he thinks it'll get the NYPD some good publicity and more pressure on the family," Taylor informed him.

Matt lowered his gaze to his mug, a frown etched on his face.

Something was bothering him, and Taylor wasn't sure if it was work orientated or something else, the two of them had been under a lot of stress lately. The kidney transplant had been tough on them both, and then the infection… Matt had taken a little time off in order to play nurse. Then Danny had been stabbed and Angell had died and Carmen had sunk into a deep depression.

They'd been worried, Taylor had personally bombarded Carmen and Flack's answering machine when she'd heard the news from Matt. She'd visited not long after Gus had called to tell her that Carmen was getting back on her feet. Gus had maintained close contact since Taylor had donated her kidney, she'd come over when Matt had had to go back to work to keep Taylor company and to make sure the infection didn't return.

The two of them had forged an easy friendship, sitting in and watching comedy movies and eating ice cream. Gus spent more time at their apartment than Matt did at the moment, Taylor was pretty sure that she was the only person Gus had confided her feelings for Adam in.

They'd been sitting here a few nights ago, eating Chunky Monkey ice cream when Gus had made the confession that her and Adam had been dating. Gus was there when Taylor couldn't be; she'd gotten sick again a few days ago, another infection, she was constantly on antibiotics. Gus had been there making her eat and keep the meds down but it was a shock to her system to say the least which was probably why she kept vomiting.

"Hey, I was thinking…" Matt paused before looking up at her. "I was thinking maybe we should get away for a little while, the weekend after next."

Taylor found herself smiling at his thoughtfulness; she knew he felt bad about not being there lately, she didn't blame him. Taylor stood up and slid into Matt's lap after he set his coffee down. Matt wrapped his arms around her as she straddled his waist. Her hands running up the back of his neck as she kissed the corner of his mouth gently.

"Where were you thinking?" she asked, her hands running through his hair.

Matt's grip on her body tightened. Taylor rested her head on his shoulder, her lips brushing his throat.

"Richmond, Virginia. I've always wanted to go there; I think you'll really like it." He uttered, turning his head to give her better access, her hands were tracing each muscle through his black NYPD t-shirt.

"How about I plan a romantic long weekend, just the two of us and all you have to do is pack." Matt offered, his hand resting on the back of her neck his thumb caressing her soft skin.

"I like that." Taylor murmured against his stubble, before Matt pulled away he could study her face.

"Leave it to me," he whispered, before leaning in and claiming her lips with his own.

* * *

_**OMG! Let me just say, I can not believe it's been a month since I last posted on this. Life has been so busy as of late and I have been working on a few other stories too.**_

_**Anyway here's a nice new chapter I have two more already written for you so there won't be that long to wait between updates. I also have the next five chapters planned so it'll be easier for me to write them. So thank you everybody for sticking with me.**_

_**By the way, credit is due to Sparkycsi for writing the Danny/PM convo, it was the on thing that kept this chapter from being written because I dreaded it and at the end of the day she came to my rescue. So a round of applause for her!**_

_Soccer: lol np, everyone gets busy and stuff so I know what that is like. I'm glad you loved that chapter; the funeral scene was the hardest thing to write in it, which is why it took me so long._

_Forest: lol poor Sam definitely, he was a small terror for her but Hawkes is always there to lend a friendly hand. Flack's a wonderful man, and he cares deeply for his friends and family. I wanted to show more of him and Danny, I think that's not done too often in fics sometimes, and I'm pretty guilty of it._

_Katy: lol your half right, I need to give them a little breathing space. The storm is unfortunately for some of the other chars in the story, so you'll have to wait and see how that pans out._

_Blue: lol your story did make me laugh, what did they do about it? I so would have hidden it. Thank you I'm glad you found it heart warming. It's nice for Sam to have someone that cares about her around; I think they make quite a good pairing. I was surprised by how well they meld together._

_Daisy: lol you got your wish on the PM/Danny convo, you'll have to wait a few days for the follow up chapter. Hawkes and Sam do have such a great dynamic, he calms her down and in turn she gives him a bit more fun in his life._

_BEG: lol Is it sick to say I'm glad you felt bad? Seriously though I'm glad I managed to make it affect you, it was a bastard to write. I love seeing Flack and Danny's friendship, you don't see that too often anymore. LMAO fruity cheerios will never be looked at the same way again thanks to that story. Lol Hawkes is, I've only started looking at him that way since him and Sam developed some chemistry. Thanks for your work in some of the future chaps and helping me with the future DI storyline, I'll update you a little on that when I see you later._

_Lapland: lol I feel like I've been away from it for ages; RL is just a pain sometimes. I'm glad you liked the funeral I really struggled with it. I hope this answered a few questions for you about what Carmen's going to do, and as for Cory she has bigger probs in the next few chapters. I fully intend to read Pixie by the way but you'll have to bear with me a little at the mo, I'm working the next week flat out and then the only day off I get is for graduation, there's a load of fab stories I wanna catch up on and yours is one. SO be patient I'll get there. Lol your story about your little bro made me giggle. I felt bad for Sam when I was writing it but she got a little Hawkes action from it so we can't complain._

_Sparky: lol I am becoming the queen of long chapters, seriously one of my Finding Kate chapters was 39 pages. The funeral was an utter pain in the ass; I had to keep editing it. You really have gotta feel sorry for Sam in all that mess the kid caused. The Danny/Flack convo was long overdue, I was thinking by this point Flack needs someone to talk to and it was a last minute thing that impacted well. The convo was fab, thanks for helping me with that, Cory is sometimes an enigma to me. You'll prob be getting a lot more. I wanna finish my FK chapter then I'll send more!_

_Hope: I'm glad you like this, I have to catch up with your story but as I said I'm crazy busy at the mo, lol I need to make a list of something. I like reading about people's interactions with other people hence why I like writing them. Thank you for the review and I hope I keep you enticed._

_Bad: lol I am so glad you loved this chapter. It's the only time he can let loose; he knows Carm and Flack would never let him get away with anything like that. Lol I'm glad he goes down well with you. I am so happy you keep reading!_

_Mauveine: You are saying that to the queen of bad reviewing lol. The funeral was horrific to write but it seems to have paid off so I'm pleased. It was a pure fluke adding the Danny and Flack bit, but it worked so well, your right about not seeing it enough, we need more fics. I would freak out too, I'd scream. They work so well at being a couple, I can't wait to see how the whole thing develops myself. It brings more to the table with Hawkes. Lol I have a few more chaps for you to read._

_Axellia: lol I know I'm sorry! I just stopped for a while, I got caught up in writing my Finding Kate chapter and this happened. I have a few chapters backed up for this so the updates won't be few and far between. Lol you'll get a happy Carmen soon enough, and as for weddings that's a little way off but there is a surprise along the way. Lol and of course they'll be a resolution. OMG I was up til 3am last night talking through a new DI (third) storyline. I am such a bad person. Lol I'm glad she's growing on you a little, she has a few little storylines of her own but you'll see, and Thomas is hilarious! Hope you catch up soon!_


	104. Chapter 104: The Longest Day

**AN:**** This is an M rated chapter in terms of smut.**

Chapter One Hundred and Four

_From the moment I met you I just knew you'd be mine_

_You touched my hand and I knew that this was gonna be our time_

_I dont ever wanna lose this feeling,_

_I don't wanna spend a moment apart_

_'Cos you bring out the best in me, _

_like no-one else can do_

_That's why I'm by your side,_

_that's why I love you_

_Blue – Best in Me_

Flack was more than moderately intoxicated, in fact he was damn right drunk, but that didn't stop him from carrying his wife of almost three years out of the elevator and towards their apartment door.

As soon as they'd hit the elevator she'd bet him he wouldn't be able to carry her all the way to the apartment, it had broken into a small heated argument, he was pretty sure even in his drunken state that he could. Carmen weighed barely anything and he'd been taking out his frustration at life in the gym as of late. So, he took her bet of ten dollars and picked her up in a fireman's lift.

Flack set Carmen down next to the door before fumbling in his suit pocket for his key. She was leaning against the door frame, waiting patiently. Flack inserted his key into the lock and twisted it, pushing the door open with his shoe. The door swung open revealing only darkness.

It had been a long time since they'd had the apartment to themselves, after Danny's stabbing they'd become focused on dealing with the events. To Flack it felt like they'd been diverting one hit after the other. Danny, and then Angell… they'd almost lost a lot of people over the years but Angell's death had put things in perspective.

Life was short, no doubt about it and one day you may just cease to exist. He still couldn't believe that Angell was gone; he looked at her empty desk across the pit some days, and forgot that she wasn't outside taking a drag of a cigarette or in the field.

Carmen had flicked the lights on and as Flack closed the door behind him, he found himself watching her. Something he felt he didn't feel he did enough. His vibrant blue eyes studied her motions, as she deposited her keys, cell phone on the broad kitchen table. Her actions were lighter now than they had been over the past few days. Carmen turned around to face him; her eyes glittered like dazzling emeralds, she was leaning provocatively against the kitchen table, her eyebrow raised, a wicked smile crossing her features. Flack's breath caught on his throat; he was already pulling off his tie and shoving it into his pocket.

Flack stepped up to her as she slid onto the table top into a sitting position. His hands were on either said of her cheeks as their eyes met, green on blue, just him and her, like always. He was brushing the hair away from her face tenderly; he was drowning in her gaze. His lips descended on hers, her lips were soft and she tasted like blackberries, the same as her Chapstick. Their kisses were feverish now; his hands tracing roving all over her body, her hands were pushing the suit jacket from his shoulders. It fell to the floor in an instant.

He was already undoing the buttons on her white blouse, his ministrations slow just like his kisses. He was savouring every second of their contact. He was dying to feel her skin on his. It had been a month since he'd touched her like this and he needed to be inside her again, he craved the completeness she gave him.

The shirt was off her shoulders now and across the surface of the table. Her body felt lean and taunt underneath his hands as he stroked, kneaded and caressed every inch of her. She was trembling beneath his touch; his tongue was in her mouth desperate and seeking. God he's missed this. There was nothing like this feeling she gave him, no one else could ever compete. She whimpered into his mouth, as her hands un-tucked his shirt, her ministrations tentative and meek. She was nervous.

He drew back his eyes sought out hers and in them he saw everything he saw a past a present and a future, but he saw her need too, she needed this as much as he did.

"It's ok for you to feel happy again," he reassured her, his fingertips stroking her cheekbone lightly.

Carmen swallowed hard and nodded before opening her mouth to speak.

"It's stupid to feel nervous, right? I mean it's been over a month," she murmured, resting her head on his chest, her fingers played over each button of his shirt as she undid them.

"A month full of suffering and heartache," Flack agreed, his fingers running through her hair. "But it's over now, everything's been laid to rest, right now there's only the two of us to worry about. Let me make you feel better, you deserve that," he told her gently, cupping her chin so her eyes were on his.

"I love you, Don," she mumbled as a smile crossed her features. "Somehow you just know how to make everything ok again."

Carmen's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him against her body, she kissed him chastely. Her hands were relieving the shirt from his shoulders. The skin on skin contact drove her insane as his hands tangled in her hair before trailing down her spine and finally coming to rest on her hips. His lips had strayed now, down along her jaw and planting red hot kisses down along her throat. His tongue traced a path down to her collarbone. He heard her breathing quicken as his licked along it, his hands already unfastening her bra with expert skill. Carmen's fingertips were running down his chest and tracing the jagged whiteness of his rippling scar. Her fingers caressed all the bumps and ridges, he moaned into her throat as she toyed with the sensitive skin.

Her bra was off, joining their shirts on the laminate. He drew back to watch her expression as his hands kneaded her breasts. Carmen arched against him as his thumbs traced over her nipples, her head tipped back, a moan escaping her lips as he rubbed his hardness against her through their trousers. Flack could sense her desperation as she fumbled with the belt buckle on his trousers.

Flack followed her lead, stripping her toned legs of the material, leaving her sitting only in her black silk panties. His trousers and his underwear fell to his ankles so he was standing naked before her. Carmen's hand was stroking his cock firmly, he moaned into her mouth, hands gripping the edge of the table as her hand worked up and down. Perspiration was dripping down his back as his body bucked at her urging; Carmen released him suddenly, gyrating her hips against his cock so he could feel her moistness through the material of the panties. He couldn't take anymore of her teasing.

His hand lashed out sweeping everything from the table to the floor in one fluid motion. Carmen found herself on her back Flack on top of her, his lips smothered her groans as he pushed her panties aside slipped two fingers deep inside of her. She bit down on his bottom lip suddenly as her hips rose to move with the rhythm of his fingers.

Her skin was flushing with raw pleasure now; heat was rushing through her body as Flack's thumb teased her clit, her fingers raked across his back as she writhed underneath him.

"Don, I need you," she whispered as his teeth grazed her neck.

He could hear the pleading in her voice, and that told him everything he needed to know. He slid the panties over her legs slowly, taking the time to sensually caress her thighs and then further up.

Flack's eyes were on her face as he rubbed his cock against her slick opening, teasing. Her fingertips were digging into his shoulders as she begged for him. He bent his head to kiss her mouth as he thrust inside her slowly. He buried himself deeply, the sensation almost tipping him over the edge. Carmen wrapped her legs around his waist, gasping as he penetrated deeper.

Flack was watching her face as he thrust into her hard and fast, over and over again. He became lost in her, her whimpers and cries were sending him spilling over the edge as the first wave of pleasure hit her. She stiffened underneath him suddenly as she called out his name. Her muscles were contracting around his cock sending him over the edge. She was screaming his name, pure ecstasy shining on her face now as her body writhed underneath him, her nails were scratching his skin and he savoured the pain as it mingled with the pleasure that suddenly overwhelmed him.

She clutched him tightly until his body had stopped shaking. Flack raised his head, his lips seeking out hers; the kiss was tender and long. He withdrew himself before rolling off her and lying on his side, his eyes studying the profile of her face.

"How did we go a month without doing that?" Carmen panted, turning on her side to face him.

Flack brushed away the hair that was plastered on her forehead as Carmen yawned from exertion and deep set weariness.

"Good point is the table held," he chuckled, as Carmen's eyelids began to flutter closed.

The day had been tough on her and him too. Carmen hadn't been sleeping well at all recently and that was understandable, Angell's death haunted her dreams, so much that she worked herself into exhaustion the majority of the time.

"I really don't think I can move," she murmured between barely parted lips, her voice drowsy and he could tell she was already drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Flack was already slipping off the table and tugging on his boxers.

"You don't have to." His lips brushed her forehead before he picked up her sleeping form gently in his arms and carried his wife towards the bedroom.

Flack tucked her into bed before climbing in beside her, listening to the sound of her deep breathing before wrapping his arms around her and muttering the words "sweet dreams" in her ear.

* * *

Cory sighed. She was exhausted as she let herself into the apartment. She'd been working on the Garvey trial all day and with the call from Papa Messer, she wasn't sure what she was going home to. She walked into the dark apartment, no lights, no TV.

"Danny?" she called out. Surely he was here.

After getting no response, she walked into the living room to find on sitting on the couch. "Hey, you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me? How long have you known?" Danny asked her, his voice low.

Cory bit her lip, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Because Papa Messer said that if I told you, he'd end his cooperation with the FBI."

"So you care more about your job, rather than me," he snapped rising to his feet, his fists clenched by his sides.

"NO!" she denied vehemently.

"Because that's what it damn well seems like. How long have you known and why haven't you told me?" Danny seethed, his eyes etched with fury as he focused on Cory.

Cory drew a breath, trying to stay calm. "I've known ever since I took over the case. Birth records aren't exactly secret, ya know. As for why I didn't tell you? She is a nasty piece of work, Danny. You know that. I needed every single weapon against her I could get," she started, anger beginning to burn inside of her. "You know that I can't talk about ongoing investigations anymore than you can, so what the hell is your problem?"

"This is my fucking mother you're talking about, a woman I thought was dead for the whole of my life. This isn't about your case; this is about you lying to me, the man you're supposed to be in love with. Let me ask you a question, how can you sleep at night, next to me knowing something like that?" Danny raged.

Cory took a step back at the hatred in his voice. "Danny," she started haltingly. "This wasn't easy for me. I spent every single day begging your father to tell you. I told him that you needed to know! I never lied to you; if you'd asked, I would have told you."

"Did you think I was going to ask about something like that as far as I was concerned she was dead..." Danny hesitated for a second. "Does Flack know? I mean how many more people knew before I did?"

Cory sighed, not knowing if she could bear to tell him that Flack knew. She finally made the decision to be honest with him. "Yes, Flack knows. And he did the same exact thing that I did. Try to persuade Papa Messer into telling you."

She turned and shook her head before uttering, "What would you have done, Danny. When faced with the prospect of putting the head of one the Five Families behind bars?"

"I would have told you! I can't believe this, my girlfriend and my best friend knew about this and didn't tell me!" Danny exclaimed feeling more hurt than angry.

Cory shook her head, knowing he was in shock and lashing out, but not backing down on a decision that she thought was for the best. "I did what I thought was best. I can't change that. And I know that you're pissed, but Danny, you've got look at it from my perspective," she pleaded with him.

"Go, just get out, I can't deal with this right now," he growled, dropping onto the couch, his head in his hands, rubbing at his eyes.

"Fine. Even though this is my fucking apartment, you're safer here than anywhere. You have my number if you want to call me," she said as she marched to her room to gather a bag of clothes.

She was fighting the tears down as she walked out of the apartment. "I really do love you, Danny," she said softly as she closed the door behind her and allowed the tears to fall.

* * *

It was shortly after midnight when Hawkes dragged himself through the door. He was exhausted from an excruciatingly long day at work and the ordeal with Thomas. He toed off his shoes and hung up his jacket and headed for the living room and towards the sound of the canned laughter of the Conan O'Brien show coming from the television. Samantha was stretched out on her stomach in the middle of the pull out couch, clad in a pair of sweat pants and a dress shirt he immediately recognized as coming from his closet. Her hair was up and held together by a large clip and she was eating a small package of Oreo cookies and drinking a tall glass of milk that sat on the floor.

She seemed to fit right into his life. As if she had always been there. And it struck him how perfect it seemed to see her there. And that he never wanted her to leave.

"Hi!" Sam chirped cheerfully when she saw him enter the living room. "I pulled out the bed for you. Thomas is out like a light. I made him some pasta for supper and there's leftovers in the fridge it you're hungry. Don't worry, I cleaned up the mess. I'm actually an excellent housekeeper."

"I thought you'd be asleep by now," Hawkes said.

"I tried to but couldn't. Too much going on in my head. So, I resorted to my drug of choice." She held up an Oreo. "I keep the individual packages in my purse for when I get a craving. Oreos are my crack."

Hawkes couldn't suppress a grin. One moment Samantha Ross could be mysterious and alluring and seductive. The next she could be bubbly and precocious. Naïve, almost. Innocent. And it these two extremes in personality that made him love her so much.

_Love? Is that what this is?_ Hawkes wondered. He wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was that he had never felt this way about anyone. And God, she looked so damn good in his clothes.

"I kinda raided your closet," she said, noticing him checking out her wardrobe. "Hope you don't mind."

"Why would I? You look beautiful."

She turned about a dozen different shades of red. From the tips of her toes to the soles of her feet. Just like Adam when he got flustered.

"How was your day at the office?" Sam asked, anxious to get the attention off of her.

"Long and tiring." Hawkes replied wearily, taking a seat on the edge of the pull out. "Three quarters of the team was off attending Angell's funeral, Danny's still off and Carmen doesn't have her badge back yet."

Sam frowned and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Do you think she'll get it back soon?" she asked. "I know Flack's been working his butt off with the brass trying to help out. And that's he's been defending her against some morons at work. Do you think it will happen? Her getting her badge back?"

"I think only time will tell," Hawkes replied. "But I'm optimistic."

"I'm glad one of us is," Sam said with a sigh and finished her Oreos and milk. She climbed off the pull out to toss the trash in the kitchen garbage and rinse her cup and put it in the sink. When she came back out, Hawkes was massaging the back of his neck.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern as she sat down beside him.

Hawkes nodded. "Just working a lot of hours."

"I know. And I really admire you for helping Carmen out like you did. Making her talk it out. Get her out of her funk. You have a big heart, Sheldon. A lot of compassion. Not many men have that these days."

She moved into the middle of the bed and knelt behind him. She pushed his hand away from the back of his neck and took over the massage. Her hands were soft and warm and applied pressure in all the right spots. Hawkes briefly wondered what else she could do with those hands. Then scolded himself for even thinking such a thing after the way things had ended outside of Adam's apartment.

"The thing with Carmen," she continued. "You could have easily just brushed it aside and no bothered but you didn't. It's admirable."

"We do things for the people we love," Hawkes told her.

Sam smiled. "There's more to what's bugging you, Sheldon. I can tell. More than work. Do you want to talk about it?"

"You don't take no for an answer, do you." It was more a statement than a question.

She grinned. "It's rare."

"A friend of mine has end stage ovarian cancer." Hawkes told her. "She's been sick for a long time and at first the chemo and the radiation worked. But now…." he sighed heavily. "There's nothing that can be done, now. Nothing but wait for the end."

"I'm sorry." Sam said sincerely. "That's awful."

"She's still so young. Early thirties. She had a little boy. Who knows what will happen to him."

"I'm sure she has family and friends who can look after him."

Hawkes nodded. "There's a couple people," he said.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this at once, Sheldon. It never rains but pours it seems."

"Unfortunately," he said.

"I really am sorry."

He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled softly. "Thank you," he said.

She returned the smile and then leaned forward to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. She didn't know what had possessed her to do it or how she'd gotten the nerve up to do it, but she did know that it seemed like the logical thing to do. Mostly because she remembered what it had been like to kiss him and she'd been dying to feel that again.

He was surprised at her bold actions and touched at its tenderness. He looked into those golden eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Assailed by all the feelings he had for her and unsure of what to do with them.

She backed away from him, clearly embarrassed by what she'd done. More because she hadn't received any form of reaction from him. Not the one that she wanted, anyway.

His head was swimming at the brief, sweet touch of her lips. His heart ad body had been aching for her since that night outside of Adam's apartment. He had felt, as he left her standing by her brother's door, like a damn fool for not noticing she was engaged and for trying something with a woman he barely knew. Yet despite her knocking him back, he couldn't stay away from her, or resist her.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I shouldn't have…."

He turned sideways and placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her into him. He kissed her deeply and intensely, almost roughly, and she circled her arms around his neck and melted into him, her body molding against his. His other hand rested briefly on her side, then slipped around to her back when their tongues met and swirled against each other in an erotic dance. He removed his hand from her neck and reached up to gently pull the clip from her hair, letting the dark tresses tumble down her back and over her shoulders.

She moaned lightly when his lips drifted to the side of her neck and his fingers combed through her hair. She tilted her head back as he kissed and licked and nibbled at the pale, smooth skin of her slender neck, lingering for a time on the hallow of her throat before moving up to her ear.

"You are so beautiful," Hawkes told her, his voice a near whisper as he lifted his head to look into her eyes. He pushed her hair away from her face and pressed kisses to her forehead, her eyes, her nose and then her soft lips.

She tightened the grip on his neck and kissed him hungrily, demandingly. She'd never wanted someone that desperately. To the point it was almost frightening. She let herself fall back, pulling him with her. He put a hand down to avoid putting his full weight on her slender body but didn't break the kiss.

They lay there kissing for what seemed like an eternity, clothed limbs rubbing tantalizingly against each other. His lips found her neck once again and his hands slipped up the front of her shirt, finger tips drifting across her smooth skin, feeling the goose bumps that pricked up on her skin. Hearing her soft moan as her teeth grazed her neck.

Hawkes drew back to look at her. His hand slipping across her stomach and then along and up her side. She gave a sharp intake of breath and saw the desire in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Why did you stop?"

"Before this goes any further I need you to know that this time I won't be able to stop."

She smiled. "What happened to your self restraint?" she teased.

"I was just fooling myself. I have none when it comes to you."

She raised her head and kissed him. No man had ever wanted her like that.

"I'm serious, Samantha. I won't be able to stop once this starts."

"It's okay, Sheldon. I won't want you to stop. But what about Thomas? What if he wakes up?"

"We'll hear him over the baby monitor. You're shaking. Are you nervous?"

She nodded.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I've never been with anyone other than Zack. And Zack is less than stellar. What if I disappoint you?"

"That will never happen. We don't have to do this, Samantha."

"Yes. We do," she said. "I want this. I need this. You. I need you."

He kissed her softly and then pressed his lips to the bare area of her neck not covered by the shirt she was wearing. His fingers quickly and effortlessly undid the buttons, and laying the shirt open, kissed his way across her collarbone and then the space between her breasts. He skimmed his lips along the side of one breast, then over the top before circling the achingly erect nipple with the tip of his tongue.

She sighed and her nails dug into the sheets beneath her. Her breathing was ragged. Her eyes were closed. Hawkes ran his hand softly from her side up to cup her breast, his eyes watching her face. He teased the nipple some more with his tongue before taking it into his mouth and sucking firmly at it.

Sam gasped loudly and arched beneath him. He lingered on her breasts for several minutes, alternating between the two, licking and sucking and lightly biting the nipples. Then his lips and tongue traveled from the space between them and slowly downwards, licking around her navel ring before sucking at it gently, His hands pulled her sweat pants down over her hips and she lifted her body so he could remove them completely. She was wearing nothing underneath and it proved to be even more of a turn on for him. He moved down the bed and parted her legs gently. Running his fingertips along her inner thighs and following them with his lips and tongue.

She moaned and writhed beneath him as his mouth moved further up her thigh.

"Sheldon…..wait…." she said suddenly.

He stopped and raised his head to look at her.

"I've never…I mean….no one has ever done….you know, THAT, to me before…."

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"No. It's not that. I just…..for some reason I felt you should know that."

He smiled and softly kissed the inside of her thigh. "Just relax, Samantha," he said. "Everything's going to be okay."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and nodded.

He lowered his head and spread her lips with gentle fingers and lightly kissed her clitoris. She gasped at the sensation, then moaned when his tongue replaced his lips. Her head swam and her heart pounded and sweat glistened on her skin. He alternated between slow, long licks and fast swirling motions directly on her clit.

She'd never felt anything like it. There were no words to describe the sensations traveling through her entire body. She had to grab a pillow to stifle her noises when he concentrated solely on her clit and slipped a finger inside of her. Thrusting it in and out slowly.

He raised his head to look at her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Don't stop…." Her voice was muffled by the pillow over her face.

"Hmm?"

She moved the pillow briefly. "I said don't stop. What you were doing with your tongue….please don't stop…"

Hawkes returned to what he was doing, stroking her thighs softly with one hand. He removed his finger and then pushed two inside of her as far and as deep as they could go, curling them back to rub at the inner walls while he sucked and licked at her clit. She was panting into the pillow, her hand holding his head to her. Her hips lifted up to meet his mouth and she suddenly screamed his name into the pillow as a powerful, intense orgasm ripped through her body.

She felt numb from the tips of her toes to her hair. Oblivious to everything but the mind blowing pleasure that had taken over her body.

He pulled his fingers then kissed his way up her trembling body. He removed the pillow from her face and kissed her long and soft and deep. She could taste herself on his lips and his tongue. She brought her knee up to gently rub against his erection. Hawkes moaned into her mouth, not knowing how much longer he could hold on.

Sam broke away from the kiss and pulled his head down towards her in order to kiss and lick at his ear and his neck, her other hand moving between them to yank his shirt from the waist band of his pants and then reaching for his belt buckle.

"You have too many clothes on," she said into his ear. "Let's do something about it."

He knelt above her and pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. She ran her hands over the firm muscles of his chest and down his stomach to his belt, undoing it swiftly. Hurriedly snapping open the button and pulling down the zipper. She slipped her hand inside both his pants and his boxers to stroke his erection. Hawkes moaned and kissed her, then climbed off the pull out to remove the rest of his clothes. Sam was very impressed with what he looked like under those clothes. He wasn't a tall man, but he had a strong, solid build and smooth skin. And what was below the waist was the most impressive. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation at what lay ahead.

He joined her once again on the pull out and ran his hands over her entire body. From her feet to her face, moving slowly. Deliberately. Stopping at that juncture between her legs and slipping a finger inside of her.

Samantha moaned and arched her back. "Hurry…" she panted. "Please…"

"You're so wet," he said, marveling at the beauty of her and her responsiveness.

"For you," she said. "Only for you."

He removed his finger and leaned over her to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her legs, allowing him between them, sighed when she felt the tip of his cock brush against her opening.

Suddenly he pulled back. "Protection?" he asked.

"I use the Nuvaring," she replied. "You're a doctor. I'm sure you know what that is."

Hawkes nodded.

"So I can't get pregnant. And if you're worried about other things, I had a department physical last month and I was clean."

"I wasn't thinking about that. And I'm clean too. I just didn't want to get your pregnant."

"We're okay there," she assured him.

He kissed her, soft and slow, then settled himself between her thighs, propping himself on his hands. Looking deep into her golden eyes as he eased into her, inch by inch, feeling her body stretch to accommodate him.

"You feel so good," he said, voice a near whisper. "Being inside of you feels so good. You're so beautiful, Samantha."

"You make me feel beautiful," she told him and brought her head up to kiss him.

He moved inside of her slowly and lovingly, watching the pleasure that took over her face and her eyes. He loved the way her body felt as it moved against his and how her legs hugged him tightly when she circled his waist with them, drawing him even deeper inside of her. Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his body. Holding back was nearly killing him. It had been a while since he'd been with a woman, and being with one so stunning and responsive was incredible. Her hand ran over his shoulder and down his arm. He caught her hand in his own and held it tightly on the mattress above her head.

She moaned loudly when he deepened and quickened his movements. She closed her eyes and arched her back and tilted her head back. His lips found the hollow of her throat, sucking gently. In time she was begging him to move faster, harder and he obliged. He could sense her need for completion, and wanted that to happen before his lost complete control. He let go of her hand and reached between them to find her clit and stroke it in smooth, slow circles. In less than thirty seconds she was coming for the second time that night.

Her body bucked wildly underneath his and he captured her lips with his before the scream could erupt from her. He felt her inner muscles clench and release around him over and over again, sending him over the edge as well, thankful for that deep kiss that held back the noises they both were making. Breathless, he broke from the kiss and nearly fell on top of her. His forehead against the space between her neck and shoulder.

Her legs and arms collapsed onto the mattress. She was spent and numb. She could feel his trembling body above her and hear his heart beating. For a long time they lay there. Sweat glistening on their bodies and their collective panting the only sound in the room.

Hawkes was the first to move, rolling onto his back, his forearm over his closed eyes, chest heaving from exertion. He felt the mattress shift beneath him as she slipped from the bed several minutes later and then heard her padding from the living room and down the hall and then the soft click of the bathroom door closing behind her. She returned a little while later and slipped back into the t-shirt before sliding back into bed beside him.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He stroked her arm and her hair. No words were spoken. None needed to be.

An eternity seemed to pass. Her quiet breathing telling him that she'd fallen asleep.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you, Samantha," he murmured softly.

Her eyes snapped open. She said nothing in return although her heart felt so much. She couldn't tell him. It would complicate so many things, cause so many problems.

And that was why she lay there with tears in her eyes as she made the hardest decision of her life.

In two days she'd leave New York and Doctor Sheldon Hawkes.

And she'd never come back.

* * *

_**Firstly a few thank you's, both Sparkycsi and Browneyedgirl75 helped co-write this chapter. Sparky and me played out the conversation between Kris and Danny, but the Hawkes and Sam section was completely Brownededgirl75.**_

_**Onto the smut, tell me whether you like it or not because I'm trying to figure out whether I should include some or not, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.**_

_**Also thankies to all reviewers and lurkers!**_

_BEG: lol it's only been a month because I keep getting caught up in other projects along with busy life syndrome. Lol I'm keeping it true to form with the alcohol thing. She's got another two weeks before she can go back to work, which trust me I am looking forward to as much as Gus is. lol she did feel old when he said it, but if you think about it since she was in control of the raid and he's newbie of course he was gonna call her ma'am. Lol I have so many niggling ideas, the prob is putting them all in._

_Blue: lol a least they were nice about it. I aim to please and it was a little whirlwind. Carmen's always going to want to try, that's the best thing abut her, but it's understandable if she gets burnt out, she's had more of her fair share of things._

_Lap: lol I like your ref about the wheel of life. Lol Carm is gonna be in charge of the crime lab pretty soon according to my chapter note, so that should be fun to write, there's a few lose ends I need to wrap up first though because of all the stuff that goes on. Lol I love writing her and Gerrard, they have a damn good reason to butt heads in the chaps. I was toying with how she'd do it but this seemed appropriate._

_Maddy: lol it's out it this way, the next few chaps are gonna be like this too. I have so much to put in and sort out before she runs the lab. Lol smoosh's back! I missed you._

_Bad: lol I'd be buying that uni a drink lol. I'm glad you liked this, and of course Thomas needs a fan._

_Forest: You'll have o wait and see, it's interestingly resolved actually when I think about it. I'm glad you liked the chapter; it's been keeping me busy. Carmen's conflicts the onset of a few things, I think she had to doubt herself after the Angell thing._

_Soccer: Yea that's what happened with this chapter, it happens all the time to me. Glad you enjoyed this chapter and continue to enjoy the story._

_Hope: lol it's true though, support can some from the strangest places. I think Flack appreciates the fact she needs to get through the day and he's determined to be there. Mac likes it when Carmen does things like that, in his head he's setting her up for something much bigger._

_Sparkycsi: lol It's a bit of a mixed chapter for everyone, because on one side you have the whole Carm situation being resolved and on the other Cory and Danny is just starting. LMAO Matt and Tay are in for a wild ride so far and it was a snap decision, completely spur of the moment. Glad C was there to talk it out and help lol. I feel the two of them don't get as much screen time as I would like._

_Mrs Don: lol well I do have a lot in store so ya I'm probably gonna make you sob some more, sorry but that's just the way it is. Life's not fair. Well we'll see how you feel about some of the stuff that's coming up. Thank you for reviewing tho._

_Princessg: lol she's pretty damn pissed off when she does it, I'm proud of my little OC too. Thanks for the review._


	105. Chapter 105: In All The Right Places

Chapter One Hundred and Five

_Oh darling_

_We may be so far apart _

_But I know that _

_You'll always stay inside my heart_

_Forever _

_Cause you're the only love I known_

_Together _

_I'll never have to be alone_

_Amy Diamond – Another Day_

The station house was busy; Detectives were roaming between the desks, case files clasped in hands as they wove around each other and other stationary items. Flack was standing along side me as I paused in the door way, some eyes raised in my direction but to my relief the majority stayed focused on their tasks. It appeared that I was becoming old news and that was something I appreciated.

"It's going to be quick, in, get your badge and out," Flack reassured me, his hand settling on the small of my back as he propelled through the bull pen.

"Do you really think Gerrard's going to leave it at just that?" I reminded him as we moved towards the double doors at the back of the room.

"No, but I'd appreciate it if you tried not to take anything he says to heart." Flack pointed out.

I took a deep breath as I stepped through the door that Flack was holding open for me. I already knew that Gerrard was absolutely fuming at the fact he had to give my badge back to me. Only a hand full of people left the top drawer when Gerrard out you in there, and I was one of the lucky few.

"Are you going to see Danny after I go in there?" I asked cautiously as we strode down the corridor, footsteps echoing down the lonely corridor.

Flack nodded his response to my question, his mouth set in a grim line.

Cory had called early this morning from the hotel she was staying at. Papa Messer had finally decided to fess up to Danny about the reality of his mother and it was safe to say it hadn't gone well, for either Papa Messer or Cory. More so since Cory had been forced to confess that Flack had also known; now Danny wasn't taking anybody's calls.

Which, of course, was cause for concern especially on the condition he was in with his back; Cory had stopped over later on this morning to check on me and drop of a key for Flack in case Danny didn't answer. Danny, now more than ever needed someone and he'd shoved Cory away in anger. I knew it was hard for Danny to apologise and luck had decided maybe it was best to show Danny his and Cory's perspectives on the issue at hand.

We were outside Gerrard's door now, and I knew beyond that thing wooden panel he was waiting for me in there, most probably armed with harsh words to try and break me down. Flack cradled my face in his hands before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips, before drawing back.

"Stop looking to worried," he instructed. "The worst is over now; all you have to do is take the badge and leave."

I cleared my throat as he pulled away feeling my nerves already on edge but I was determined to put on a strong front.

"You still meeting Cory for lunch after this?" he questioned as I tried to pull myself together.

I nodded as pushed my hair back behind my ears.

"I think she needs a little time to talk it out, she's strong but I know this whole situation has been a strain on her, even now that it's out in the open. She's picking me up as soon as I give her a call," I informed Flack quietly.

Flack checked his watch before letting out a deep sigh.

"Look, I have to get going and see Danny before my shift starts, you sure you don't need me to…" he trailed off, tilting his head towards the door.

I gave him a grateful smile.

"If I can't take on Gerrard what chance will I have against a hardened criminal in the field?" I half joked.

"I'll try and make it back before Thomas's bed time; I'll call you if it runs into a double," Flack told me, examining my face.

I nodded vigorously before squaring my shoulders and raising my head.

"Better get this over with," I stated, gesturing to the door.

"No matter what he says, this wasn't your fault," Flack reminded me.

"I know that," I confirmed before taking a deep breath to steel myself.

"Wish me luck?" I asked.

Flack leaned in, pressing a feather light kiss on my cheek.

"You don't need it," he whispered before gently pushing me towards the door.

* * *

Gerrard's office was very articulacy furbished, he'd made an attempt to tidy his cluttered desk before I'd arrived, but he couldn't hide the fact it was very well used. I bet he spent a lot of nights here going over files and paperwork.

Gerrard was on his feet already, leaning against his desk, eyes on me steely and cold as I stepped through the door, raising my eyes to meet his gaze.

"I thought you would have seen sense and not come back for this." He held up my badge in his hand, shaking his head.

"I have seen sense, hence why I'm coming back for it," I returned with a tight smile.

"You don't deserve this and you know it. Hundreds of men and women had died in honour of this badge; Detective Angell is one of them…And you… you disgrace this badge and her memory," he scolded me.

I stared at him, arms folded, gaze fixed on him.

"It's a pity your superiors don't seem to think so," I retorted. "In fact they disagree so much, they've made me Head of the Lab for when Mac goes away, I bet that just really pisses you off doesn't it."

Gerrard reached out grabbing my wrist and extending my hand so my palm was facing upwards, before slapping my badge in it.

"I'm going to watch you crash and burn girl, this is way out of your league. You fail and your career's going to pieces and I know there isn't a chance in hell that you can pull this off. I'm going to be there and pick up the pieces of every thing you destroy." Gerrard's face was close to mine, his sneer etched across his once handsome features.

"You won't have a chance in hell, because this is who I am, this is in my blood, and I'm going to do my damned best to make that lab run as smoothly and efficiently as I can and you aren't going to do a damn thing to stop me. You're dried up Gerrard; you don't know what it's like to be a cop anymore. You're just a politician now," I responded, clipping my badge back to the front of my trousers.

"There…" I proclaimed. "Everything's back in its rightful place."

I strode towards the door, clasping the handle as Gerrard spoke again.

"I'm warning you girl. One mistake and your ass is mine."

"Good thing I don't make mistakes," I informed him before wrenching the door open and ducking out into the hallway leaving Gerrard to dwell my words in silence.

* * *

Danny didn't answer the door the first time, nor the second or third. Flack inserted the key Cory had given him into the lock and twisted it, unsure of what to expect. He'd seen Danny in worse states than this but he was still surprised.

He lingered in the doorway, his eyes on the other man as he lay on the couch, his face expressionless as he watched the TV barely acknowledging Flack's entrance. His clothes were wrinkled as if he hadn't moved from that position all night. There was a pile of beer bottles next to the sofa, all empty.

Flack took all this in before moving side ways into the kitchen and flicking the kettle on and pulling out utensils to make coffee.

"Cory send you?" Danny questioned from the couch.

"She just gave me the key; we need to talk Danny Boy," Flack informed him, moving over to the couch carrying two mugs of coffee towards the couch.

Danny managed to pull himself into a sitting position before accepting the drink off Flack and staring into its murky contents.

"I have nothing to say to either of you Flack, so you don't waste your time," Danny grumbled as Flack settled on the arm of the sofa.

"Danny, we need to talk. There's things you need to know before you make any decisions," Flack implored.

"Like what? You and Cory plotted behind my back to arrest my mother, who I didn't know was alive!" Danny exclaimed, turning to face Flack. "Tell me, how am I supposed to deal with that? My best friend and my girlfriend lying to me!"

"You don't know what it was like Danny, the position that we were both in. We wanted to tell you so badly but Papa Messer forced us not to tell you, you don't understand how hard it was. We begged him to tell you but he wouldn't let us."

"How hard it was for you? I have just found out my mother is not only a live but she's the head of the Corleone family." Danny was raising his voice now.

"Have you even thought what this was like for Cory…She's had to deal with the possibility that you were going to die and then she had this forced upon her, how do you think she felt?! Because let me tell you Danny this hasn't been easy," Flack argued, trying to keep his voice even.

"You have no idea what I'm feeling right now Flack so don't even attempt to level with me. I feel like I'm losing everything all over again, you don't know what it feels like…" Flack cut him off.

"Danny…I almost lost Carmen and the baby because of this. We almost divorced because I couldn't tell her what was going on…You remember that don't you? You remember how serious she was…she god damn walked out on me because your father wouldn't let anyone break their silence. So do not tell me that I don't know what you're talking about," Flack snapped, feeling his rationale beginning to slip.

"I just don't understand how this could happen…I mean why couldn't he tell me?" Danny murmured, head in his hands.

Flack took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to continue.

"Your mom…she wanted more power than your dad's position could give, so she left him. Your Pop knew how dangerous this could be to you kids so they made a deal, she'd be dead to you in order to protect you from getting hurt," Flack told him what he knew of Papa Messer's version of events.

"How could she do that Flack? I mean we were her children, how could she do that to her children?" Danny was rocking back and forth now.

Flack couldn't see the other man's face but he could hear his voice breaking. He reached out and touched his best friends shoulder gently.

"I don't know Danny," Flack admitted, before speaking again. "You can't throw away what you have with Cory over this; she's struggled with this even more than I have and I know it's killed her not being able to tell you."

Danny looked up from his hands and turned to Flack, wrapping his arms around himself.

"I could so go for a drink right now…" Danny muttered rubbing his face with his hands.

Flack checked his watch.

"You want me to swing by around eight, when my shift ends? I know this great bar on 24th." Flack offered, knowing his friend needed to get a lot more off his chest.

Danny nodded before letting out a deep sigh.

"How am I gonna make this right with Cory, Flack?" Danny asked quietly as he walked Flack to the door.

"One step at a time Danny, you just need to take it one step at a time." Flack responded, before patting Danny on the shoulder one last time and marching down the corridor.

* * *

The restaurant was one that I hadn't frequented before and was located high above Manhattan on a rooftop. Lilac flowers decorated the mahogany tables, and the room was showered with plush greenery, giving an earthy feel to the place.

Cory had always had good taste, her apartment was exquisitely furnished and her taste in food was magnificent. I always loved the fact she was in charge of Thanksgiving and Christmas, her food was delicious and I didn't mind helping with the clean up later.

I spied her as I stepped into the reception area of the place. She was at a table furthest from the front, next to a window. Her beautiful features looked subdued as she studied a menu in front of her. I sighed before weaving through tables and dropping into the seat across from her, letting my handbag sink to the floor along side of me.

"You want me to order a bottle of wine or bourbon, because I'm telling you girl, it looks like you need it," I half joked, picking up my own menu and flicking through it.

"Seriously, if I wasn't going to work after this I'd have done that myself," Cory confirmed, with an attempt at a smile.

I could see form the tension in her shoulders, she was wound tight. Her knuckles looked tight as she gripped the menu in two hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I offered…

Cory sighed as she studied the menu intently. "I guess," she finally said quietly. "I don't know what to do, Carmen. Danny hates me."

I shook my head sighing. "Danny doesn't hate you, he hates the situation, he's mad at you because he needs someone to be mad at. You need to sit down and tell him how much this has been stressing you out... I mean seriously he must have seen the signs something was wrong"

"But I tried that. He basically told me that he didn't care. That I should have told him anyway," she replied, tears glistening in her eyes. Depressed she lowered her lashes and muttered, "And he was right. I should have told him."

I reached out touching her hand gently. "You couldn't have known it was going to turn out like this, you were bound by your word just like everyone else is and he can't blame you for doing the same thing he would have done. He just needs time to process; this is a huge shock to his system,"

"I don't know anymore. It's not right for me to have to keep something like that away from him. You're right; this has been tearing me up since for months. I haven't been sleeping well and I don't know how he missed it." She sighed. "Maybe he thought that I was just having bad dreams of him dying, I don't know. I just...I don't think I can do this anymore."

"It depends what "This" is. Do you seriously want to end it with Danny? Because I never took you for a quitter Cory Reid, not now and not ever. This is a set back, and Danny will get over it, but right now he's hurting and he's going to need you there to help him. As for him not noticing, let's just say he's had other things on his mind."

"I'm talking about doing the job and the relationship at the same time. I want to work this out with him and I keep trying to imagine what I would do in his shoes, but I can't." She sighed again, looking out the window at the Manhattan skyline. Finally she continued, "I think I have to make a choice. Danny or the job. I don't know if I can."

"Why can't you have both, Danny does the job too, he knows what its like, do you know how rare that is? The reason you can't put yourself in his shoes is because this situation isn't normal and you shouldn't have been put in this position. This is a mess that has nothing to do with you, but somehow you got caught up in the middle of. I mean seriously, which one can you give up...You are the job Cory, and its part of you, just like its part of Danny."

"That's why this is so hard, Carmen. You didn't see the way he looked at me. I felt lower than something that is on one of his slides. It was like he couldn't or wouldn't see things from my point of view. I don't mind us fighting, because God knows that keeps thing interesting, but he's _never_ not listened to my side before. It's pulling me apart inside." She sniffed, trying to control her tears. "I can't imagine my life without him, but I don't think I can bear to be in this situation again. I'd gladly give up the job for him, but I'm afraid that I'd come to resent him for it."

"Look, take it from a girl who knows Danny Messer, you need to give him a little time to cool off. Danny is proud and its very hard for him to admit that he's wrong. But when it comes to do I know he'll do it in a heartbeat rather than face the alternative of not having you in his life. He just needs to accept this, it's hard but it will happen and things will get back to normal. I promise"

Cory shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe we just need sometime apart for a while. To let him cool down. I think I'll stay at the hotel for a while longer, although it's lonely as hell there. But before I can move forward with him, we're going to have to have a serious conversation. I can't go through this a second time. I mean, he threw me out of my own apartment!"

"How about you let me take you out tonight, just the two of us, a girl's night out...?"

Cory thought for a moment. "I really need it, and since I've been working day and night since this all happened, my boss told me that if he sees me in the office tomorrow, he's gonna put me on report. As long as we don't go anywhere that we've been before, I think I'll be all right."

"There's a bar I've been wanting to try for a while now, on 24th but I haven't had the time with everything that's happened recently."

Cory just nodded her reply as the waiter finally showed up to take our order.

* * *

Hawkes couldn't concentrate. He'd been trying hard to throw himself into his work and focus on the tasks at hand, but for the last two days, he found himself unable to put the job on the front burner. Between the stress of worrying for his sick friend and now dwelling over what had taken place two nights ago in his own personal life, his brain felt like it was going to explode from all the thoughts running rampant inside of it.

His co-workers were beginning to notice it as well. Not only Adam, who had covered his ass many a time when he had to run off to attend to something, but Stella and Mac as well. He wasn't the Hawkes that they knew. He was sullen and withdrawn and hardly recognizable to them at the moment. He made simple mistakes that no one with his experience should make. Dumb, idiotic things like leaving evidence out and touching things without gloves on. Mistakes he'd never even made when he was the new guy. Mistakes he couldn't afford to make if he wanted to keep his job.

He glanced up at the clock above the door in the trace lab. It was a quarter after three in the afternoon and fifteen minutes until it was time to clock out. Thankfully it had been a slow day and the double he had worked wasn't going to turn into a triple. He needed sleep. A chance to close his eyes and put to rest, for the time being, everything that was hounding him.

But that was hard to do when the only thing he saw or thought about when he so as much stepped foot in his apartment was Samantha. And what had happened between them two nights ago. He could still feel the touch of her skin under his fingertips. The taste of her was still on his lips. Hear the way she said his name and how she clung to him. He could still see the desire and pleasure in her eyes and on her beautiful face.

And he could still hear himself saying those words to her. Words that hadn't passed his lips for anyone in a very long time. He had meant them. Everything he had said to her for that matter. And he didn't regret saying them. Or what had happened between them. And he wished with all his heart for it to happen again. That he could lose himself in her and forget everything and everyone else around him. Even if it was just once more.

He'd never be able to stop at that. He knew it. She had walked into his life and stolen his heart and soul. And he didn't want them back.

It didn't matter whether or not she felt the same way for him. He was sure he saw in her eyes that she did. He couldn't stay away regardless. He wanted her. In every way possible.

Hawkes was torturing himself. He kept reminding himself that she was engaged to be married. That she was going back to Arizona that day and would be married within a month. And he'd be nothing but a memory to her.

His chest ached. Emotion choked at him. No woman had ever had this effect on him. And no other one would ever again.

He wanted her to stay. He just didn't know how to make her do it.

The clock hit three thirty and he was shedding his lab coat and tossing his latex gloves into the trash. Anxious to get home and attempt to forget the world for a while. He'd tried calling Sam at Adam's apartment but only got the machine. He even tried the cell phone Adam had given her to replace the one Thomas had flushed down the toilet. It only went to messages as well.

And he'd left several all ready. They hadn't spoken since that morning after he'd made love to her the night before. Flack had come to pick Thomas up and Sam had hitched a ride with them and she'd been quiet and somewhat embarrassed since she'd woken up. He had told her that there was nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. They were both adults. Consenting adults at that. And neither of them was pressured into doing something they didn't want or enjoy. He knew she felt ashamed. She'd cheated on her fiancé with someone she barely knew. Yet the emotions in her eyes when they were making love told Hawkes there was more to what she felt for him than she was admitting to.

Now if only she'd be honest about it. Because maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to stay. Her flight was at seven thirty.

There'd be no rest for the weary.

Sheldon Hawkes would head to JFK airport to bear his entire soul instead.

* * *

Samantha had no idea what she was doing at the crime lab. Or what she was expecting to find there. She'd said her goodbyes to Carmen and Thomas that very morning and had stopped by Flack's desk downstairs to say goodbye. He was out on a call, but she had grabbed a scrap piece of paper and left a note tucked in the corner of the screen of his computer. She'd gone out for breakfast with Adam that morning, but their goodbyes were short lived. They'd be seeing each other again in less than a month when the wedding rolled around.

She had sensed that Adam had some reservations about the wedding, but he'd kept the thoughts to himself. Although he'd never been a fan of Zack. He hated him as a matter of fact and told Sam time and time again that she could do so much better. That she deserved so much better. Adam and Carmen –and possibly Flack, considering Carmen told him everything- were the only people on earth other than her parents who knew the hell that she endured at the hands of someone who professed to love her. It wasn't something she advertised. She hid the bruises with long pants and tops. Zack would always make sure the bruises were places no one would see them. He never touched her face. Only because he was so obsessed with physical appearances that he couldn't stand the thought of anything making her less attractive.

She hated him. She'd hated him for a long time. But there was no other choice. She had made the decision to become his wife and she owed it to him to follow through. She'd learn to love him and her life and she'd forget all about New York City and what had happened there.

She was fooling herself. She'd never forget what happened. She didn't want to forget it for as long as she lived. Maybe she was hoping to see him. That he'd stop her from going. Save her from a life of misery and agony. Provide her with an escape. She was torn inside. Torn between a man she felt she owed something to and a man that could give her everything she needed and wanted. Who she loved more than she ever thought possible, yet knew she couldn't be with.

It was why she had to leave. It was the best thing for both of them. One day they would both see that, even though at the moment, it hurt like hell.

She was checking the missed calls on her cell phone as she stepped out of the elevator and onto the thirty-fifth floor. One of the ear phones for her I-pod blaring music into her ear and her eyes focused on the phone in her hand and her mind a million miles away. So it was no surprise that she smacked face first into someone coming into the elevator.

The cell phone tumbled to the ground, sending the battery skittering a few feet away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, flushing bright red, not even looking at her unfortunate victim.

"You seem to have a love-hate thing with cell phones," Hawkes commented playfully.

She flushed even more –from the tips of her ears to her feet- when she looked up at him and her golden eyes met his dark brown ones. She had heard of 'mornings after' being awkward, but she had never expected it to be this uncomfortable two days later. She was ashamed at herself. She had cheated on her fiancé with a man she barely knew. A man that she had fallen so head over heels crazy about. She had never been a casual sex kind of girl. She wasn't one to 'fuck them and walk away'. In fact, she had limited sexual experience. So what had happened was new to her. In every way possible. Two days ago she had the most incredible, mind blowing sex of her life. And now she was walking away.

"I think technology hates me," Sam said, after she'd recovered enough from her embarrassment to actually speak.

Hawkes picked up the cell phone and the battery and snapped them back together. "You're lucky this time," he teased, holding it out to her. "Just the battery popped out. It still works."

"Thank God. Adam went out and bought me this one and he'd kill me if busted it the first thirty six hours. I'm still trying to figure out how to tell my boss I trashed a department owned cell phone. Somehow, I don't think he'd like the 'spawn of Satan flushed it down the toilet' explanation."

"A few years down the road, you'll look back on that day and laugh," Hawkes said.

"Among other things." she said with a sigh. Yeah, like the fact we had amazing sex, she thought. And how I could take you somewhere right now and….

"Where were you off to?" she asked, needing to get her mind off of things like that.

"Home. I'm off now."

Sam nodded. "Long day?" she asked.

"Long two days." Hawkes replied. "Samantha…..I…."

"Will you drive me to the airport?" she asked quickly. Hopefully. Surprising both her and him. She cursed herself for being so weak. For falling that quick and not knowing how to pick herself back up.

"I….."

"If you can't I understand. I know things are pretty weird between us right now. They've been weird since I left your apartment yesterday morning," she rambled.

"Samantha…."

"I know you probably hate me right now for avoiding your calls and not talking about everything with you. I don't blame you for being upset. And I really wanted to call you I just….I've been really embarrassed and hiding out and I came here hoping to at least see you…."

"Samantha…." Hawkes tried again.

"I wasn't planning on asking you. I mean, I wanted to and I thought about it but I wasn't sure what kind of reception I would get so I…."

"Samantha." His voice was quiet and reassuring and he laid a hand on the side of her face.

She quieted down and looked deep into those soulful eyes. The simple touch of his hand causing her stomach to flutter and her heart pound. Kiss me, she begged silently. Kiss me and hold me and tell me everything's going to be okay. That I'm a good person and I deserve this. That I deserve you. That you don't regret anything.

"I'll take you to the airport." he told her.

_No!_ she screamed inside her head. That's not what you were supposed to say!

"Hey, guys," Kendall greeted in a sugary sweet voice as she passed by. A smirk on her face that clearly meant she was amused, and intrigued at the sight of them standing so close together, Hawkes' hand on the side of Samantha's face. Gently and lovingly.

"I'll take you to the airport." Hawkes repeated, ignoring the lab tech.

Sam managed a smile despite the tears that were threatening.

"You two look pretty cozy," Kendall commented.

"Mind your own business." Hawkes said in an unusually off hand tone that no one had ever associated with him before.

Kendall blinked.

So did Sam. Although she had to admit she was rather amused by the shell shocked look on the other woman's face. Lab Tech Barbie, Carmen had called her once. Sam knew little of Adam's relationship with Kendall, but what she was told; she knew her brother was better off without the woman. And that he'd found a real keeper in Gus.

"You ready to go?" Hawkes asked Sam.

"I just have to pick up my bags at Adam's. Maybe we could get something to eat if there's enough time?"

"We'll make time." Hawkes told her, and removing his hand from her face, placed it on the small of her back and lead her back towards the elevator.

Kendall stood watching them. And wondering just what Dr Sheldon Hawkes was doing with someone like that.

* * *

JFK airport was a hub of noise and activity at that time of the afternoon. All nineteen departure gates open and ready for business. International and national travelers scrambling to get their flights, anxious and excited loved ones waiting for family members to arrive from afar and teary eyed ones saying goodbye. A mixture of emotions running rampant.

Both Sam and Hawkes knew what that felt like.

With two hours to go before take off, she checked in at the American West desk in terminal 3 and put her one and only suitcase into baggage and they headed for the small eatery a mere five hundred yards from her departing gate. The cozy establishment was almost packed with diners waiting for their boarding calls or family members, but Sam was able to find a table near the back, where it was less hectic and they could hear themselves when they spoke.

Not that there'd been a lot of talk on the way from the lab to Adam's and then on to the airport. Sam was still feeling embarrassed and awkward over what had transpired between them, and was overwhelmed by the intense feelings that surged through her just by the simple act of sitting next to him. Hawkes was lost in his own thoughts. Thinking about what had happened just two nights ago and how in hell he was going to survive letting her simply walk away. Or how he'd make her stay.

Now they sat across from each other at that small table. Eating the sandwiches and soup that Hawkes had bought for them and contemplating just what to say first. When their knees touched under the table, neither of them made an attempt to move. Hawkes watched her intently over the rim of his coffee cup. Her eyes were dark and sullen and her face betraying her immense unhappiness. He wanted nothing more than to just take her out of that airport and keep her in New York forever.

Sam tried to avoid eye contact with him. Because she knew if she looked into those dark eyes, she'd be lost forever. And that was a damn scary thought. But what was scarier was leaving that day without saying what was in her heart.

"Sheldon…." she said finally, her voice quiet, eyes on the food in front of her. "About what happened two nights ago…."

"We don't have to talk about that, Samantha. It happened. And I don't regret it for one second."

She managed a small smile. "Neither do I….I just…..I owe you an explanation for why I acted the way I did the next morning. Why I took off like I did with Flack when all I really wanted to do was stay there with you."

"You don't owe me anything," he assured her.

"I owe it to you and myself to say how I was feeling. How I am feeling."

Hawkes didn't response. And she didn't need him to. What she wanted was for him to listen and to understand. So he gave her that.

"I'm scared," she admitted. "About the things I felt that night. The things I feel right now. I've never felt so loved and wanted before. Ever. And you made me feel things in other ways that I have never felt before. You did things that…." She sighed and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Things that no one has ever done for me. And I mean that in every sense of the word."

Hawkes just nodded. He had been wondering at the time if she hadn't experienced a lot of things before. He was surprised, considering she was engaged to be married and he assumed she and Zack had a normal, active sex life. Something about that night had told him that that was far from reality.

"You mean you never……"

"Never," She said and immediately felt ashamed and hung her head. "I thought something was wrong with me because it's never happened with Zack. Ever. And when it happened with you…."

Hawkes couldn't deny that that was a huge ego boost to know he was the guy to give her her first orgasm. But he kept that thought to himself. "Maybe it's Zack that has something wrong with him," he suggested.

"Zack is all about himself. He doesn't care about the person he's with. All that matters to him is getting off."

"Well he's a damn fool," Hawkes declared.

Sam nodded in agreement and sipped a can of Pepsi. "And I need that and I want that but I know I don't deserve it."

"You were embarrassed about that?" Hawkes asked. "Why?"

"I'm thirty years old and never had an orgasm? That's weird. And it's humiliating."

"The only thing that's weird is that you're with a thirty year old man who doesn't know what the hell he's doing," Hawkes told her.

"Maybe you could give him lessons." Sam quipped and immediately regretted saying such a dumb ass thing. If she'd ever said that to Zack, it would have warranted her a damn good beating. "I'm sorry." She said, her hand to her forehead, elbow on the table. "I didn't mean to say that. That was a crappy thing for me to say."

"You say sorry a lot." Hawkes told her. "Why do you feel the need to apologize for even the non significant, petty things?"

"Force of habit. When you're used to walking around on your tip toes and on pins and needles all the time…." she clamped her lips shut. She'd said too much. If Zack ever found out she was talking that way about him, it would be the last thing she would do.

"Samantha…..what aren't you telling me about Zack?" Hawkes asked, his voice quiet and understanding. He'd seen many a battered woman during his years working the ER and there were times she exhibited some classic warning signs. He'd noticed long healed bruises on her legs that he had assumed were by products of work. But the moment she flinched and jumped when he made a sudden move the other night, he'd begun to suspect that there was more to it.

"There's nothing more to tell you," she replied. "You know everything there is to know." she scratched her arm and the slight movement hiked up the sleeve of her simple t-shirt.

It was then that he saw it. The fading bruises around her slender, well toned upper arm that were so obviously made by a human hand gripping her ferociously tight. He wondered how many other bruises she was hiding. She'd been still wearing her pajama top during their love making, the three quarter length sleeves hiding them.

Sam noticed him staring at her arm and she looked down. She had forgotten about the bruises that graced her pale skin. Her and Zack had gotten into an argument over her not doing the wash in a timely fashion and she'd gotten a little smart with her mouth and paid the price. She quickly pulled her sleeve down and opened her mouth to offer up an explanation.

"Zack did that to you?" Hawkes asked.

"It happened at work," Sam lied.

"What else does he do to you, Samantha? How many other bruises are you hiding under your clothes?"

"I'm not hiding anything." she told him.

"Does it happen often? Does he hit you on a regular basis or just when the mood strikes him?"

"Zack doesn't hit me," Sam snapped. "He's never hit me!"

"Those bruises there are from someone grabbing you." Hawkes told her. "I've seen it tons of times both in this job and when I worked the ER. And I also know that most people don't stop at grabbing someone."

"Well you don't know anything about Zack. Or me. You think because of what happened between us you suddenly know everything about me and my life? There's tons of things I haven't told you."

"Then tell me, Samantha. Tell me what's going on. Because I love you and the thought of you going back there and having this or something worse happening…."

"Don't do this, Sheldon. Please. Don't do this to me."

"What? Tell you how I feel? All those things you've been feeling Samantha? I've been feeling them, too. And I want you to stay here in New York. With me."

She shook her head and looked away from him, fighting tears.

"It's how I feel. Someone needs to be honest between the two of us."

"Don't do this to me," she begged, unable to meet his gaze.

"Stay," he said simply.

"I can't." she shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. I can't."

"Why? There's no reason to go back there. To someone that doesn't love you or respect you. Stay here with me. You know that we'd be happy, Samantha. That I can give you everything you need. You don't want to go back and you know it."

"I have to. I have to go back."

"Why? Tell me one good reason why."

"He loves me."

"You don't hurt someone that you love," Hawkes told her. "And I'd never hurt you."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked. "Why?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel the same way. I saw it in your eyes two nights ago. I want you to look me in the eye and admit it."

Sam shook her head. "I have to go back," she said.

"You can't do it, can you?" Hawkes stated. "You know it's true."

"I don't know what's true anymore," she said quietly and quickly stood up and left the restaurant.

Hawkes stopped up and threw some money on the table to cover their bill and hurried after her. Catching her gently by the arm and turning her around to face him.

"I meant every word I said to you that night and I mean every word I am saying now. There's no reason to go back to Arizona. Stay here where you'll be happy and loved."

"You don't understand," Sam said.

"You're right. I don't. Are you that scared of him? That he'll come here and hurt you if you don't go back?"

"No. It's not that."

"Because no one here would let that happen."

"I know. It's…..I'm scared what he'll do to himself. He said that he loves me so much that he'd kill himself if I ever left him."

"Samantha, listen to me. He's manipulating you into staying. And the more you let him do that, the more he'll hurt you because he knows you won't leave. Don't let him hold that over your head."

"He's not always a bad guy," she said.

"If he's hurting you and abusing you physically and emotionally, then he is a bad guy. And if he's that troubled and that weak that he would actually do that, then you need to be as far away from him as possible. You see what women who are abused go through in our job. How many times have you warned a woman not to go back and find out later she did and things ended brutally and tragically?"

"This is different," Sam argued.

"You're going to go back and one day your brother is going to get a call that you're in the hospital. Or worse, that you're dead. Do you want to do that to him? To your parents? To Carmen? She loves you like a sister. Do you want her going through that? I don't want to be getting a phone call like that. Not when I have the chance to stop it before hand."

"You can't stop it, Sheldon! You can't! You can't save me!"

"Yes," he said. "I can."

"You have to let me go. Please. For your own good just let me go."

"For my own good would be you staying here with me."

"Don't do this to yourself, Sheldon. Don't feel these things for me. I'm not the woman you think I am or want me to be. And it's better to leave it this way and you never find out what the real me is all about."

"I want you and love you the way you are. It's as simple as that."

"You don't need someone like me," she argued. "You need someone that can give you everything you want."

"And you can't?"

"You deserve someone so much better than me. And if we leave things this way…..we had an amazing, mind blowing night and if we hold onto that and not let things get any further, we'll both be better off."

Hawkes shook his head. "I can't stop at that, Samantha."

"You have to," she told him. "Trust me. You have to."

"Stay in New York. With me," Hawkes said.

"Let me go, Sheldon. Please." she begged.

"I can't," he said and placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her into him, covering her lips with his in a deep, intense kiss.

She resisted at first, then relaxed against him and responded eagerly, her hands clutching his sides. She was taken back to that first kiss they shared outside of Adam's apartment. The same shivers overtook her body now and she wanted nothing more than to leave that airport with him.

After the kiss ended, leaving them both breathless, Hawkes looked deep into those golden eyes. "Stay," he begged.

"I can't," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Samantha…."

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. But it's better this way."

"No. It's not," he argued.

She stood on her tip toes and kissed him again. Longer and more passionate then before. Then looked up at him, her fingertips gently gracing over every inch of his face.

He knew what she was doing. Storing everything into memory.

She dropped her hand from his face and pecked his lips lightly. "Goodbye, Sheldon." she whispered, then turned and hurried off into the crowd.

Leaving him alone. And broken.

* * *

_**After a hell of a week I am posting again yay! Just a little update on my status, I was on a small hiatus due to work, graduating and moving. I can successfully say I am now the proud owner of a BA Honors degree in English and Imaginative Writing. And I have finally got internet back in my room!**_

_**A special thank you to Browneyedgirl75, for those of you who were tearful over the Sam and Hawkes section of this chapter, this is the lady you should thank. She wrote the scenes exquisitely and even made me a little tearful. So a round of applause for her and Sparkycsi for being a marvelous beta, there would be no story without these two ladies.**_

_**Plugs:**_

_**The Tale of Two Girls- (by me) – For those of you who wanted a little more Sam/Carm action. **_

_**Review Replies:**_

_Browneyed: lol maybe Sam can ask them where they got the table. Poor Colin…lol I can't mock him, he gives me good ideas and info. I think a littl__e smut for those two is overdue; at least he made her smile. Danny and Cory are really my fav Danny pairing, I want her in the series god damn it! I loved the Sam/Hawkes part it was everything I needed and more and I can't thank you enough for doing that for me, so major kisses out to you._

_Blue: Glad to know the smut is appreciated, I wasn't sure about putting it in this story, sometimes Carm and Flack are hard to write in that respect._

_Bad: lol who says they will get over it, you'll have to wait and see. I'm glad that everyone's getting a little bit of happiness at the min. lol esp for you I have created a case with Mac and Carm so you just need to wait a few chaps before that pops up. I need that DVD! I should so advertise that if any fan loves me enough to buy me a gift S4 CSI: NY would be acceptable or oreos. Lol I love the fact you're a supporter of Thomas! He needs some love for what I have planned in third DI._

_Angel: Hi there, nice to meet you. You'll have to wait and see what happens, thanks for the review; it's nice to see new people. For the record though I think they belong together too._

_Historynerd: lol I'm glad the __Sam/Hawkes pairing are creating such passion in people. Lol you'll have to be good and wait and see. Oh as for FK, I have the next few chaps planned out so don't worry about that; you'll get an update soon. I'd love to see a review on that; I'm getting a little disheartened with it._

_Princess: lol glad you're a fan of the smut I'll keep it up just for you. Lol please no stamping; besides you have a sneak peek at the future and trust me it'll be worth waiting._

_Maddy: lol I bet that was a little uncomfortable. I'm glad you liked it though, I'm thinking about keeping it in the story what do you think?_

_Sparkycsi: I forgot completely about that, sorry lol. Lol Cory's visions are going to keep coming but Armando will explain their subject to change, because of the future. I'm glad you liked the smut._

_Hope: lol thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it! Lol she worked really hard for me on these things so I'm glad she's appreciated._

_Eva: lol it's not a problem hun, I know how busy life can get. So it's not a prob. I hope your doing ok. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. I think your assumptions are right but whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger people. You'll have to wait and see on the happy endings part._

_Doc-aly: Smut suits different people but at least a warning was included. I understand a lot of people don't openly talk abut that kind of thing but a lot of people I know do. Glad you liked the chapter._


	106. Chapter 106: The Highs and Lows

Chapter One Hundred and Six

_I want something else,  
To get me through this,  
Semi-charmed kind of life,  
I want something else,  
I'm not listening when you say,  
good-bye._

_Third Eye Blind – Semi Charmed Kind of Life_

The labs were quiet as I tread through the corridor of the glass maze, the files that I'd come in for clasped tightly against my chest. I wasn't due back until the day after tomorrow, but I wanted to try and get a grasp on a few things before my return. I'd been off for near enough two weeks now and I had to say it was a comfort being able to stride down these halls again.

Adam had practically thrown himself at me when I'd stepped off the elevator, rambling excitably as he threw his arms around me. It was nice to know someone missed me.

I'd managed to avoid all the snide remarks and comments on the way up, my outburst at Angell's wake seemed to have pacified a few of those unfounded rumours.

Hawkes was hurrying towards me; his eyes were glazed over, his expression sullen. He'd been this way since Sam had left, which in turn gave me a few ideas as to why. Hawkes didn't see me until he bumped into me, files and papers spewed out of the manila envelopes that we both held, fluttering to the cold tiled floor.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled; before we both crouched down to gather up the papers.

"You look like a zombie, Hawkes," I murmured concentrating on trying to separate my pages from his.

"I'm just under a lot of stress at the moment," he said quietly, his expression anxious as his eyes strayed to the paper clasped in my hand.

I followed his gaze, reading the name on the top of what I recognized to be a medical record.

"Sam related stress?" I questioned curiously sliding the paper towards him. "Why do you have a copy of her medical records?"

Hawkes pursed his lips together before taking it from me. We both rose to our feet straightening our papers.

"We're going for coffee."

It was a demand not a question and Hawkes looked too tired to argue, he merely nodded as he hugged the files tight to his chest and followed me towards the elevator.

* * *

The coffee from the canteen tasted like crap, but I knew Hawkes needed some sort of boost. The dark circles under his eyes and worn faced told me that he hadn't been sleeping and I remembered Adam telling me before that Hawkes had been pulling a lot of overtime in the last few days; it seemed like he hadn't left the lab. In reality, Adam hadn't realized how true that statement actually was. Hawkes hadn't left the lab.

I pushed the mug of steaming hot liquid under Hawkes's nose, he jerked as if only just realizing it was there. He'd spent the last five minutes in a complete daze.

"Drink up, Mac sees you in this condition and he's sending you home," I stated, taking a sip of my own mug before wincing at the bitter taste.

Hawkes nodded complacently before wrapping his hands around the mug and staring into its murky pools.

"How long?" I said quietly, setting my cup down.

"One night," he whispered looking haunted.

The medical records were spread out in front of us, listing fractures, bruising, internal bleeding and broken bones all on various different parts of the body. You didn't have to be a doctor to see what was going on here.

"It's been going on since six months after she met him. The reports started with a fractured jaw, and escalated from there." Hawkes told me, his voice low and unsteady. "There was bruising on her arm when I dropped her off at the airport, it looked like she'd been grabbed…"

I scanned through some of the more recent reports feeling bile rise in my throat and a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

"I suspected…" the words slipped out as I slumped in my seat, thinking of all the times she flinched, and then the long sleeves and trousers even in summer.

"There was a woman at the hospital I used to work at, she used to come irregularly with these types of injuries, day in and out and she wouldn't do anything, Carmen." Hawkes jabbed his finger at the papers between us. "A few months later, she came in dead, beaten to death by her thug of a husband; I won't see that happen to Sam… I can't."

I chewed on my lower lip, trying to set a plan in motion. I couldn't stand the idea of this happening to someone as sweet and sensitive as Sam, I'd been here and eventually I'd got out, barely alive but I had… yet Danny had tried, more than once, his pushing, it just made me isolate myself more, lean more towards Mathew.

"Sam's terrified of Zach, he's made her feel worthless and it sickens me that she sees her self like that…we need to do something because I can't stand the thought of her turning up dead…"

The words were there between us unspoken, his admittance of feelings was all there between the lines, but that wasn't the main focus and I couldn't pretend that I was surprised. Things had been brewing between Sam and Hawkes for a while, even before this previous visit.

"If we push, she's going to cut us off completely," I said carefully as I collected all the papers together trying not to read each individual injury. "I know it seems like the hardest thing to do in the word but I know Sam and I know that she will come out of this on her own. I have faith in her to do the right thing." I covered Hawkes's hand with my own as he clenched his jaw and looked away.

"She's strong enough to do that Sheldon, you know that, but she needs to know there's someone there. She needs support. Can you help me do that for her?" I pleaded.

"You're asking me to watch as she gets abused by a person who lies to her," he murmured quietly.

"I'm asking you to put a little faith in Sam," I concluded.

Hawke turned his gaze on me, honest and open.

"I love her, Carmen."

There was no shame in his eyes, and I felt an overwhelming surge of anger at the powers that be for doing this to him.

"That's why you're going to be there Sheldon, because that's what she needs."

Hawkes swallowed hard before nodding. The two of us sat there in silence each lost in thought and hoping that I was right and Sam was strong enough to break away from Zach.

* * *

The arcade looked more like it should be at home in Japan as opposed to downtown New York. The neon glow that erupted from the building made it impossible to miss as she walked along side Adam. His fingers were entwined in her hand and he was humming to himself happily as they strolled towards the arcade, she enjoyed listening to him sing the tune off the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles under his breath.

"So, this is your favourite place in the whole wide world?" Gus questioned, taking in the flashing advertisements for different games and the gumball machines on either side of the double doors.

Adam nodded vigorously.

"It has all my favourite games from when I was a kid and loads of awesome new ones; they have this cool dance mat thing…. Anyway the whole place is modelled on the way arcades are in Japan, instead of just Pacman they have all these cool games that have been shipped in from Japan," Adam exclaimed.

Gus found herself being guided towards the double doors and then inside the huge neon building. She had to say she was new to these kind of places. Dating Adam was like a breath of fresh air for her. He was a welcome change from expensive restaurants and socialite balls. Adam was showing her the funnier side of life, the side she didn't know existed.

Gus found herself completely at home with Adam; she loved the fact they could just sit at home eating junk food and watching old horror movies. Granted the show tunes could be a little annoying and he was less organised than she could ever be, but she adored that in a strange way. It seemed to work, there was an active balance in their relationship and Adam was everything she could have ever dreamed of in a man.

In retrospect she hadn't been able to foresee herself as happy after Gage. She'd kept her distance from men unless it was to use them for sex. Nobody had been able to get through her armour, she hadn't thought relationships worked if you were a cop, too little free time and irregular hours, normal people didn't get that. She knew what the divorce rates were like for cops, but her friends were living proof that love could survive the hardships that the job brought a long. Hence why she'd started dating again.

In all fairness she had known Doc Feelgood, as Matt and Flack had faithfully deemed him, had been bad news from the beginning. She'd wanted a piece of something like Flack had, a partnership and a doctor above all people would know how much of a bastard being "on call" could be. Unfortunately most the time he was "on call" meant at home with his wife. Gus wasn't too heart broken over that, just infuriated that she hadn't been able to see the signs sooner.

It irritated her that Flack had been the one to point out the guy was married, in all fairness he shouldn't have been sticking his nose into her business, but she had to admit on one side she was glad he had. He was fiercely protective over her like the older brother she'd never had and on some level that was endearing.

It was also another reason she hadn't told him about her and Adam's relationship yet, it would be just like Flack to take charge and scare the crap out of the young CSI so much that Adam wouldn't think twice about hiding in the corridors whenever she was near. Her feelings for Adam scared her just a little, she'd never felt so free and happy since their first night together. No matter how low she was he never failed to make her smile and that was one of the best things about him.

Adam was showing her the machines now, pointing out some of her old favourites from when she was a kid and some newer ones; like the dating machine, it measured your game with women and was supposed to show a realistic reactions real woman would have to your attempts at flirting. The aim of the game was to get the game girl to go on a date with you and then try and score a home run. Adam had blushed furiously when he'd showed her that, she'd guessed his confidence was shot after Sioxsie Suicide (give the woman ten points for lack of originality.) had broken his heart into pieces before he'd come to work at the Crime Lab. Ever since then Adam had confessed he'd become more and more nervous around women he liked, and it showed in his rambling. From then on he'd had a few casual dates with a friend of a friend, but that was all. Dinner in expensive restaurants was awkward for him; he explained he's always felt out of place and inferior. Something Gus suspected still lingered from his abusive childhood and his previous relationships with fickle women.

Hence why she'd pushed him gently towards picking their date, she wanted Adam to be happy and feel relaxed and comfortable. Gus felt like she had something good here and she wanted to maintain that, every date with Adam was more insight into him as a person. Despite the fact he seemed quite flamboyant and open at work the truth was Adam was as closed off as any of them, maybe even more. On the surface he was bubbly and sweet but underneath, there was a whole different layer she doubted anyone knew about.

Like his addiction to diet pills four years ago when an ex dumped him because she said he still had baby fat. Adam had shown Gus the pictures from back then and she'd been stunned by how skinny he had become in those months after the break up, it had been worrying to see the dark circles under his eyes and what appeared to be the onset of anorexia.

Thankfully Adam's sister Sam had come to the rescue and managed to convince her younger brother that he had a problem, she'd taken him to see a counsellor friend of hers and after several intense sessions Adam had seen the light, and began a healthy eating regime again after kicking the diet pills. Those had been dark and unhappy times for Adam, ones that he never wanted to revisit.

Adam had managed to pull Gus up onto the dance mats now. She'd played on a dance mat for the first time ever a week ago over at Adam's place. According to Adam she as a natural, he'd decide they were going to battle it out on the duel dance mats in order to see who'd pay for their fries out the two of them.

Adam flashed Gus one of his adorable smiles while they waited for the machine to load the song.

"You know I'm gonna kick your ass right?" Adam teased as he positioned himself on the dance mat.

"Not even in your wildest dreams. Ross," Gus returned, just before the song erupted to life and the two of them took off dancing to the instructions on the screen.

Although Adam won, he treated Gus to the French Fries before offering to introduce her to the world of Guitar Hero.

As Adam wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her forehead, Gus realised that for the first time in her life she was truly happy.

* * *

Hawkes found it impossible to sleep. He'd managed only a handful of scattered hours since that painful drive home from the airport several days ago. Barely able to drive from the emotion that consumed and overwhelmed him. He had let the tears stream down his tortured face, unashamed by the feelings of love and unexplainable loss that had surged through him. His heart had been shattered and it remained to be seen if it would ever be healed.

At work he struggled to remain the Dr Sheldon Hawkes of old. Quietly confidant and unassuming. Calm and serene. The voice of reason at times. But, inside he was dying. He was exhausted and spent, longing for nothing more than to bury himself in the darkness that had taken over him. He felt lost and alone, merely stumbling through the days on autopilot. His thoughts consumed by one thing. One person.

Samantha.

He had loved and lost before. He'd been devastated by unrequited love in the past. But nothing or no one had destroyed him the way that Samantha Ross. He was still in shock of the revelation that she was willing to stay in an abusive relationship with a man that didn't love her instead of taking a chance on someone that adored her and respected her and would give her the moon if it was possible. Someone that would protect her and cherish her and never, ever, hurt her. She was frightened. He'd seen it many times before in women that crossed his path both in the job and when he interned in the ER at Mercy. Bruised and battered and broken, they remained with their partners out of a feeling of sheer obligation and utmost terror. He'd seen the end result of such relationships.

He couldn't bear the thought of that happening to Samantha. Of getting that phone call that she was permanently beyond help and reach.

He worried incessantly and replayed their night together over and over again in his mind. When he closed his eyes he could feel her skin brushing against his. Feel the touch of her hands and taste the sweetness of her lips. Hear her whisper his name as she clung to him. He remembered staying up the entire night listening to her breath and enjoying the sensation of her wrapped tightly in his embrace. Her scent was embedded in his memory.

As were the words she'd spoken in the airport. He had memorized every word that had escaped her lips. Could recall the look of fear in her eyes when she spoke of Zack. The heart break was on her face and in her voice when she'd held firm to her decision to leave New York. And when she'd kissed him…

His breath caught in his chest even know when he thought about it. He had felt the love she had poured into that kiss. Had seen the heart break in those golden eyes.

Hawkes couldn't accept her decision. And he refused to just simply give up on her. He knew where she belonged. There in New York, surrounded by people who would love her and protect her. She belonged with him. And he with her.

He'd do anything to make sure that that happened. Even if it meant getting on a plane and dragging her back to New York.

He'd placed several calls to her since she had departed. All of which had gone to voice mail. He hoped and prayed she was all right. That work and personal commitments had prevented her from getting back in touch with him. He tried to suppress the thoughts that Zack could have done something to harm her. And that she wanted nothing more to do with Hawkes himself. That thought nearly crippled him. He feared that the lack of contact between Samantha and even Carmen and Adam meant she had cut off all ties to New York.

Hawkes sighed heavily and rolled from his side to his back. His hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Moonlight streaming through the bedroom window. The slight breeze fluttering the curtains and tickling the bare skin of his chest and arms.

He thought long and hard about his next move. He contemplated getting up and packing his bags and heading for the airport and jumping on the first available flight to Phoenix. He'd show up at the crime lab there and profess his feelings once again and not take no for an answer. Yet Carmen had made him see sense, doing that would just push Sam further into Zach's arms and there wasn't a chance in hell Hawkes was going to play a part in that.

His second option was less drastic and the rejection would be easier to take a thousand miles apart than face to face.

Hawkes rolled back over onto his side and reached out and scooped his cell phone off of the nightstand. He powered it up and entered the familiar numbers. He'd memorized them by now. He expected to have the call go to voice mail as it had the several times before. It was well after midnight in Arizona and no one in their right mind would still be awake.

So he was startled and left speechless for a moment when Sam picked up on the fourth ring.

"Sheldon," she said in greeting. Her voice sounded neither surprised nor angry. It sounded weary. And sad.

"Samantha," he responded, struggling to keep the emotion from creeping into his voice. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"I'm at work," she told him. "Trying to stay awake. Right now I'm on the roof having a break. Trying to get some caffeine into me. I got your messages. I was going to call you back but…" she sighed heavily. "I could never seem to get time alone to do it."

"Zack." It was more a statement than a question.

"I really wanted to talk to you, Sheldon."

His heart soared at those simple words. "I miss you, Samantha…I've thought about you every second of every day since you left."

"I miss you, too," she told him. "And I wanted to call you and tell you that…that I'm sorry for the way we left things. And I wish with all my heart that things could be different."

"They can be," he said. "If we let them be."

She sighed. "I can't leave. There's too much going on here. My work and some family stuff."

"How are things with Zack?" he asked, trying not to let the bitterness creep in.

"I'm optimistic," she replied.

Hawkes frowned. "What does that mean?"

She didn't answer. Long minutes of silence passed before she spoke again. "My mom's sick," she said. "I was hoping to get a chance to call you sooner to tell you about it, but I guess Adam may have mentioned it."

"No, he hasn't. What's the problem?" he asked.

"The doctors aren't sure. She's been having terrible head aches and blurred vision yet her blood pressure and an MRI are fine. She's been admitted. The hospital's been her home for a few days now. I've been spending any spare time I have there. I was hoping that when we get some results, I can either call you or fax them to you and get your opinion?"

"Of course," he said. "And I'm sorry. That you're dealing with all that."

"Thank you," she said. "I'm sorry, Sheldon. I wish we could talk longer. I really have to get back to work."

He heard the regret in her voice. His heart ached again. "I understand," he assured her. "Call me," he implored. "Even if it's just to talk."

"I will," she promised. "It's done me a world of good to hear your voice. Even on the messages."

He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I love you, Samantha," he said. "And I wish you were hear."

"I.." her voice faltered, and he thought he heard her sniff. "I wish I was there too, Sheldon," she told him. Then abruptly hung up before she crumbled.

He pressed end and stared at the phone in his hand for a long time.

_Than why the hell aren't you?_ he thought.

_**Hey, I'm sorry it's been so long, but I have been a busy girl with stories and with life in general. But hey I have at least two more chapters for you in the next few weeks and a few very special surprises.**_

_**Firstly we have guest writers! BEG75, Sparkcsi and Axellia have all penned parts of the story over the next three chapters and all have been invaluable when it came to the storylines we have surprised even ourselves with. SO a round of applause for these fab ladies!**_

_**Review Replies:**_

_Maddy: lol Thanks on the congrats! It's a little joint effort and I'm proud that the whole thing flows so well. I wouldn't mind you writing a Gus part if you get the time, I actually have been meaning to talk to you about a Gus storyline I have coming up._

_Katydid13: Thanks on the congrats but I have even better news, because of my degree, my manager is trying to put me on the supervisor scheme! Which is going to be interesting!_

_Bad: lol I am waiting to get a certain amount of money in so I can order it. Lol I'll be wrapped up in bed with pop corn when I get it. Lol Penni wrote that section but the truth is I am not a huge Kendall fan. Thanks for the congrats! I'm not really fused on people appearing that are being related to Mac, we had that with reed in the series and I think he's very inclusive so we'd know if he had more family. It works in NOLA Rising because Gus is also very inclusive but that's the only story I've seen it work well with. By all means give it a shot though._

_Blue: lol It gets better soon I hope for Danny he has a lot going on and its ok to freak out when you discover news like that. Thanks for the review._

_BEG: lol I wish they were too but if cbs ever steal my oc without asking I swear I will sue their asses. Sam Flack is too damn close CBS!! I didn't want her to go full out on his ass, but as you know I am saving that for later. Danny and Cory are made for each other, and it was hard to write Flack and Danny's convo because I couldn't be sure Danny was going to respond to Flack. God damn hot mail for getting my hopes up about cheesecake._

_HistoryNerd: lol you'll see what happens just be really patient. Besides if there wasn't conflict the story would be boring._

_Forest Angel: lol you'll have to wait and see, it does have a climatic storyline ending. _

_Sparkycsi: LMAO I had a proper image of Cory doing a Gibbs style smack to Sam. Lmao you got loads of chaps inadvertently Thanks for your help and I can't wait to see what you come up with. I owe you a review or two!_

_Soccer: lol and it gets better, stay tuned._

_Lapland: Actually I've been applying for loads of jobs but have nothing back. Anyway in work I was just randomly talking to one of my managers and she suggested the supervisor program there so apparently their thrilled to out my name forward for it. Its full time hours and more money so yay. I just have to pass the interview now. I hate kids so teaching won't be an option.__ You can do a lot of management and stuff like that if you don't want to go into teaching. Lol as for Gerrard, they have an incident soon, well several lol you'll see. Hm it depends with Cory and Danny, they're quite resilient as a couple. Lol I have a load of guest writers in the next chaps._

_Hope: You'll have to wait and see what happens next. Danny and Flack are hard to write sometimes and there's more clashing with Gerrard later on._

_Daisy: I wasn't sure how the smut was going to go down with people but everyone seems to like it. I loved Hawkes and Sam it was so loving. Yea high five for Carmen getting her badge back. Lol Cory and Danny come back with a bang, but you'll have to wait and see._

_Princess: lol I admire your perseverance and hope life calms down for you! Lol we have loads of storylines coming up and I swear the next chap you will be shocked at. We have two more chaps for you, so not foot tapping doll! Gerrard and Carm get worse when she runs the lab._

_Mrs Donald Flack: hey I hope you're not disappointed, the next chapter is gonna kick you in the gut lol. I have two more done almost after this so the wait won't be long._


	107. Chapter 107: How To Be Naughty

**AN: ****Warning rated M for a little light hearted smut.**

Chapter One Hundred and Seven

_One way or another I'm gonna find ya _

_I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya _

_One way or another I'm gonna win ya _

_I'll get ya, I'll get ya _

_Blondie – One Way or Another_

The bar had a reputation for cheap liquor and an interesting brand of entertainment. It ranged from members of the audience singing on the bar to dancing (also on the bar) and charity auctions. Flack had read about it in a magazine Carmen had left laying around the apartment. It was the cheap booze that persuaded him to take Danny.

The bar was crowed as hell, there were people on the dance floor, strutting their stuff to a female singer perched on the actual Saloon like bar, was singing's Blondie's _One Way Or Another_. Along the bar, women were up there and dancing. Flack glanced at them for a mere second, barely taking them in as Danny and him settled onto a table towards the middle of the room. The cocktail waitress delivered their pitcher of beer quickly.

Flack was fully prepared to listen to Danny's rant about his father and Cory, in fact he was pretty much ready to drag his drunken ass home and let him sleep it off on the couch. What he didn't expect was the expression on Danny's face as he sat there across from Flack eyes on the bar. His jaw had dropped as he fixed at something Flack couldn't see behind him.

"Flack…did you tell Cory and Carmen where we were going tonight?" Danny asked, his tone neutral, his eyes never leaving the bar.

"No," Flack said as he turned around in his seat following Danny's gaze and groaned out loud at the sight.

Carmen and Cory were beyond intoxicated, but they still carried themselves off as sober. They were standing on the bar, and it didn't take a Detective to realise that Cory had been the one singing. Flack cringed as she passed the microphone to Carmen, who took it from her gratefully.

He loved his wife, but he knew there wasn't a chance in hell that the woman could carry a tune, so he was moderately relieved when she handed the microphone over to the bartender.

"We can leave if you want," Flack offered his friend as _Flirt_ by the Pussycat Dolls started playing across the bar.

A smirk crossed Messer's face as he nodded in the direction of the two girls. Flack turned in his seat again and nearly dropped the glass of beer he was holding.

"Jesus…" he muttered.

Cory was pressed up against Carmen, her hands rested on her hips as they brushed against each other, faces inches apart. Flack felt himself stirring as he bit his lip. There was something hot about the idea of his wife with another woman, ever since she'd revealed her brief history with Al, he'd always wondered if she'd ever indulge in that particular fantasy of his. Just watching her with Cory, hair over her face as their hands strayed everywhere was driving him wild. Carmen was rubbing herself up against Cory now; Cory's hands were raising Carmen's already short skirt, to catch a glimpse of black lace French knickers as Cory spanked her.

Flack glanced at Danny to see him shocked and in a form of awe at this side to his girlfriend. Danny's eyes met Flack's and the both of them started to chuckle.

"Looks like you did us both a favour bringing us to this joint." Danny grinned, before ordering another pitcher of beer.

"Sorry Danny boy, I don't share, Carmen's coming home with me tonight, although I may try and bribe Cory as well," Flack smirked.

Danny rolled his eyes at his friends.

"Cory's got better taste than you, Flack."

"Apparently we both have the same kinda tastes," Flack teased as he pointed at Cory and Carmen on the bar, the crowd of business men at the front were going wild for the two of them.

Danny burst out laughing as Cory placed a vicious looking heel on one guy's chest as he attempted to climb the bar and kicked him backwards into the crowd before turning her attention back to Carmen.

"It's that time of night again, ladies and gentlemen. It's auction time!" The music was still playing but at a lower volume so the barmaid could be heard over the microphone as she stood in the middle of the bar.

Carmen and Cory were oblivious to everything as the two of them danced together next to the barmaid.

"And do we have a treat for you, a two for one deal. Who gets to spend the rest of the night with these two gorgeous ladies?"

Flack spat his beer out into his glass as the whole bar cheered for Carmen and Cory. There was uproar front the men in the bar. His head twisted and he met Danny's concerned gaze full on.

"How much money you got, Messer?"

"About three hundred you?"

"About the same."

The bidding had already started and was over a hundred dollars. Flack raised his hand signalling his bid as Danny emptied his wallet out onto the table.

"Three hundred and eighty six." Danny clarified as Flack tossed him his wallet as he continued to bid on his wife.

"Fucking three hundred already! Are they trying to pimp out their patrons?" Flack cursed as the business men in the front kept upping the bid.

"We have six hundred between us," Danny uttered.

"You got your badge." Flack asked Danny.

"Yea, I think I'm on the same track as you Flack." Danny returned as the two of them stood up, badges visibly on display.

It took them two minutes to reach the bar, Danny was cursing at the DJ to cut the music as Flack stood one a stool and clambered onto the bar.

"NYPD ladies and gentlemen, sorry to ruin your night but these two ladies are not for sale."

"Hey we're paying good money for…" Flack fixed the argumentative business man with a cold glare.

"You wanna spend a night in lock up buddy?" Flack snarled as Danny helped Cory from the bar.

"You wouldn't wanna a night with these chicks. We've taken them for going home with wealthy business men and robbing them blind. They've evaded us once already and now I'm sure your business buddies agree that you wouldn't want any trouble, right?" Danny said diffusing the situation with ease.

The business man took a step back before Flack jumped off the bar aiding Carmen's passage down.

"What did I do to get such a handsome detective?" she mumbled, wrapped her arms around his neck as he proceeded to drag her from the bar, following the same path as Danny had.

"You are in a lot of trouble Princess, a whole world of trouble," he muttered as she sank against him.

"Can we use the cuffs, Detective?" she giggled as they made it outside. Danny had already hailed down a cab and was trying to manoeuvre Cory into it.

"I'll take her back to her place, you ok with her?" he nodded at Carmen who was rubbing herself up against him provocatively and her hand straying underneath his shirt.

Flack rolled his eyes as he took her hand and placed it on his shoulder.

"Yea I got this," he muttered as Carmen leant her whole weight against him.

Danny nodded his assent before climbing into the cab alongside Cory, Flack watched them drive off before setting about with the same task.

"Don when we get home, can we do it on the table again?" Carmen giggled, her lips caressing his warm neck.

Flack shivered, before pulling away slightly so he could stick his hand out for the oncoming cab and get his drunken wife home.

* * *

Carmen's lips were on him as he pushed the door open, his arm was looped around her waist as he tried to pull away from her attempts to seduce him. She was drunk, and unquestionably horny, but Flack was still highly unimpressed by the fact shed almost got herself auctioned off to the highest bidder….

In fact, he was fucking furious, but right now he was more caught up in fending her off than yelling at her. He'd been brought up with morals, and taking advantage of a woman when she was drunk was beyond him, even if she was his insanely hot wife.

He managed to detach her for enough time to close door before he turned around again to face her. He shivered at the desire that flushed across her pale skin as she stood there in front of him like a naughty school girl as he raised a finger and pointed at her.

"You are a bad girl," he remarked as she ran her tongue over her top lip.

She smirked before bending over the table top, giving him an appreciative view of her ass as the skirt rode up an extra few inches.

"I think dirty girls like me need to be spanked." She grinned over her shoulder.

Flack bit his lip, surpassing the shiver and the stirrings lower down before pointing at the bedroom door.

"You need to sleep off the alcohol," he informed her, trying to steel his resolve.

Carmen rolled her eyes before taking long strides towards the bedroom door and disappearing into the room. Flack breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn't sure how much longer he could have taken without just snapping. Watching Carmen and Cory together had filled him with a furious lust for his wife and he was desperate to just pin her down and give her exactly what she wanted. But he was a gentleman in everyway and his morals prevented him from doing just that. He stepped into the bedroom and stopped dead in the doorway his eyebrow raised in surprise.

Carmen was bending over again, this time slipping the tiny skirt off over her hips and letting it pool into a pile on the floor. Her black French panties were on display as she turned to face him, her hands slide down her body, caressing her breasts for a brief second before she undid the buttons of the top she was wearing and peeled it off her shoulders.

Flack found himself moaning as she stood before him, looking flawless in her little black panties and high heels. She was in front of him now. Her body barely brushing against his. Flack was frozen to the spot, as she took his hand and placed his forefinger to her lips. Her tongue flicked over it. Flack gasped as she slipped it between her lips, sucking it as her eyes stayed fixed firmly on his. He was already hard, his cock ached in his jeans for her attention as she licked and teased his finger.

Her other hand strayed to his belt buckle; she undid it with expert finesse before he managed to pull away again. His finger popped out of her mouth as he tugged himself away panting.

"You are unbelievable," he muttered trying to calm his racing heart.

"Imagine what I could do on my knees," she replied huskily, reaching out and squeezing his crotch lightly.

"Get on the bed," he demanded, trying to get her the hell away from him.

"With pleasure," she returned as she took his hand and pulled him along with her.

He went willingly for now, although he was seriously debating grabbing the spare bedding and taking the couch.

She was on the bed now on all fours, glancing at him over her shoulder as she bit her lip.

"Are you going to spank me like the dirty girl I am…" she paused. "Or did you enjoy watching Cory do it?"

"Do not tempt me, Princess."

"Not even a little?" she asked as her hand strayed down between her legs. "You know it made me so wet when Cory's hands were all over me, I wanted her to touch me right here."

Her head tilted back as her fingers caressed her moist underwear, a moan escaping her sensual lips as she teased her clit.

That was it Flack's resolve vanished.

In an instant he was on the bed behind her, his rough hand up her smooth thigh and squeezing her ass cheek gently before he drew back his hand and issued a firm smack on her ass.

A gasp escaped her lips, a pleasurable one he could tell.

"You've been a very naughty girl," he murmured his hand caressing the little red patch across her ass before his fingertips trailed along the hem of her panties.

Carmen took a deep intake of breath before shivering under the soft ministrations. Flaks fingers were tracing light patterns over her lips and clit, as his free hand began to undo the button of his jeans.

"You like it when I'm naughty it keeps things interesting," Carmen spoke quietly as she pulled away and got to her knees turning to face him.

Her hands were tugging his shirt up over his head and onto the floor. Carmen pressed her warm breasts against his chest.

Their lips met. Flack wrapped his arms around her, his tongue exploring her mouth, tasting her as Carmen's hands worked at yanking his jeans down to where his knees met the bed. Flack moved into a sitting position pulling his underwear off along with the pants.

Carmen smirked as she climbed on top of him, her legs straddling his waist as he remained in a sitting position. Flacks hands were on her hips, fingers digging into the bare skin there as she rubbed herself against him. He bit her lip as the tip of him brushed her hot wetness. Carmen moaned appreciatively, scraping her nails across his back as he slipped her panties aside and inched himself inside her.

The noises she made were incredible as she moved above him. Her beautiful red hair fell across his face as her teeth grazed his throat; his hands ran up her back, pulling her even closer as they rocked together. He could feel himself coming undone as he felt her body beginning to tighten at the impending orgasm. They weren't going to last long, all of her teasing had seen to that.

Their bodies were slick with sweat as they moved against each other, their pace quickening. Flack was struggling to hold back but she was driving him closer to the edge with each thrust. She was whimpering now and it was driving him insane as she suddenly clasped him tightly.

"Don, I'm going to come," she whispered as he suddenly grabbed her hips and thrust his entire length inside her.

Carmen's whole body spasmed in pleasure as his name erupted from her lips. He bit down suddenly as her inner walls tightened, driving him to his final peak. His body bucked as he held her close, breathing in her scent and drinking in the pleasure.

Carmen slumped against him, her arms around his neck her forehead resting on his shoulder as he tried to get his breath back.

"I love you, Don," she whispered, pressing a feather light kiss to the space between his shoulder and neck.

Flack reached out smoothing her hair before withdrawing from her warm body and gathering her naked form up in his arms.

He pressed his cheek to hers, listening to her breathing as he ran his hand lightly through her hair until he was caressing the back of her neck with his fingers.

"I love you too, Princess," he murmured.

Carmen nodded her response before looking up at him sleepy eyed and weary. She looked adorable, her cheeks were flushed from their recent love making as his fingertips traced her soft skin. He found himself smiling as she stifled a yawn.

"Let's get you into bed." he said before Carmen nodded her assent.

The two of them crawled under the sheets, Carmen muttering incoherently as Flack wrapped his arms around her and guided her head towards his chest, his fingers twisting in her hair as he laid a butterfly kiss gently on her forehead and wished her goodnight.

* * *

Gus was still surprised when she opened the door to her apartment and discovered a very anxious looking Taylor. She ushered the flustered woman inside, watching her as she paced the floor in front of her fireplace.

Taylor walked, chewing at her nails. Lack of sleep and chewing her nails; habits that had only appeared _before_ the wedding.

"Spill," Gus ordered, gently.

Taylor looked sharply over at her. "What?"

"There's something playing on your mind," Gus pointed out. "You're wearing a hole in my carpet. And to add to that, you've been that distracted whilst we were shopping, you bought yourself a bacon sandwich for lunch, and I know perfectly well you can't eat bacon.'

Taylor shook her head, her hair taking on a slightly more frazzled appearance as it framed her pale face. "It's nothing. I'm just not sleeping properly. My back's aching all the time. On top of all that, I have three months to plan a wedding and the stress is making me sick to my stomach."

Gus frowned. 'Taylor, are you sure?"

"The ghosts are making a few more appearances."

Gus looked Taylor up and down, scrutinizing her profile. "I don't think it's ghosts."

Taylor sighed. "It's probably the wedding then. I can't sleep and when I do wake up, I feel sick to my stomach."

Gus took a breath. 'Tay, have you done a pregnancy test?'

Taylor froze. 'I'm not pregnant,' she said, mortified. 'How can I be pregnant?'

'Have you and Matt been sleeping together?' And then Taylor burst into tears and crumpled to the floor. Gus' emerald like eyes widened with concerned as she dropped down onto the floor next to her. 'Is being pregnant really that bad?'

Taylor nodded, crying too hard to make a verbal response.

Gus wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 'You don't think Matt would be happy?'

'It might not be Matt's,' Taylor sobbed, her voice so distorted, that for a moment Gus wasn't sure what she said.

'What?' Gus asked, dropping the arm from Taylor's shoulder.

'It was just the once,' Taylor mumbled.

Gus stared at her, speechless. Finally she found the words. 'What? With who?'

'Danny,' Taylor told her mournfully, her eyes unable to meet her friend's.

'Danny?' Gus cried. 'As in _Danny_ Danny?'

Taylor quickly shook her head. 'No! Danny Taylor. He's an old friend.'

Gus sighed. 'Stay there,' she told her, disappearing into her kitchen and returning with a large glass of water and a tissue. 'I'd give you wine, but until you take a test, I think it would be safer if you didn't.'

Taylor took the glass from her, staring into it. 'It was wine that got me into this.' She looked up and caught Gus' stare. 'I'm not blaming it on alcohol,' she told her. 'I knew what I was doing. But if I hadn't have been drinking, I would have driven home.'

_It was a Thursday evening. Matt was at work as usual and Taylor was around at her friend's house, trying to concentrate on what Danny was telling her but failing._

'_Alright, what's wrong?' the Hispanic man asked her._

_Taylor blinked, her brown eyes meeting with his equally chocolaty ones. 'Nothing.'_

_Danny sighed, sitting down next to her on the sofa. 'Tay, I'm trained to read people, and what you're saying, and what you're body's saying are very different things. Tell me.'_

_Taylor looked over at the coffee table and the two bottles of wine on it. They had already finished one over the course of the evening, and there wasn't much left in the second. She grabbed her glass and tipped the bottle upside-down, the red liquid filling nearly three quarters of a glass. 'I found some text messages,' she admitted as she finished the glass in one. 'On Matt's phone. They were from his ex wife.'_

'_I take it they weren't alimony demands?' Danny questioned._

_Taylor shook her head. 'She was saying she was sorry – that she made a mistake. She still loves him and wants to get back together with him.' Taylor stared mutely at the empty bottles. __He didn't think she knew, but she did. She was a reporter for fuck's sake, she knew when her own fiancé was hiding something from her. She shook her head, biting her lip and staring at the coffee table with blurry eyes. She didn't know why she was here, but she was. No, wait, she did know why; there was nowhere else to go._

_That wasn't strictly true. Since quitting the paper, she had been writing freelance, but on a whim, she had decided that she would try her hand at fiction. And as a crime writer, she had turned to the crime genre. However, trying to keep it out of the Crime Lab and basing any of the characters on people who had worked there, she had called her old college friend. Danny, who was an FBI agent, working in the Missing Person's team, had only been happy to help. And with Matt being away even more, she had been just as happy to have some company._

_She knew, deep down, as she spent the late evenings there, that she was playing with fire. There was a spark. There always had been back in the days when they had been cramming for their finals together. But they'd never acted on it then, so, Taylor reasoned, why would they act on it now?_

_And somewhere inside of her, if she was being honest, she knew that that he would have worked out something was bothering her and he would have gotten it out of her. Really, she should have gone to someone else to talk about it. Carmen would have listened in a heartbeat. But Carmen was his ex too. And she should have gone to Gus, but at that time, she didn't need a shrink (even__ though she also knew Gus would have been a friend first)._

_And if she was completely honest, she could have easily spoken to her dead best friend. Even Flack would have listened._

_But the ultimate truth was, she liked the company. And the security. Which was why she was still sitting on his couch at stupid o'clock in the morning, when she should have just told him to go to bed and she'd get a taxi home. He wouldn't have listened. He would have, at the very least, told her he's take the couch and she'd have his bed.  
__  
'Tay?' she heard, his voice suddenly seeming so much deeper and more caring than Matt's ever was._

She turned her eyes toward him, giving him a sad smile and blinking her eyes rapidly. 'I'm not enough,' she whispered.

His brown eyes clouded with confusion and his brows fused. 'You? Not enough? Impossible,' he said, smiling at her. He reached out, his hand wrapping around her shoulder, his thumb stroking her arm.

She lifted her hand, wiping away the tears that escaped down her cheek. He caught her hand before it could fall to her lap and his thumb ran over the space where her engagement ring should be. He lifted a questioning brow at her, his mouth set in a firm line. He always had been quick on the uptake. There was a reason why he worked for the FBI.

'I took it off,' she murmured, her eyes staring down at her bare hand.

'Why?' he asked, his voice rough as if he'd already figured it out.

Taylor took a deep breath, letting it out in a shaky sigh. 'Why fight the inevitable? He's only going to ask for it back, that I couldn't compare to his first wife.' She cocked a brow. 'Stupid, huh?'

He shook his head, taking her hand in his. 'You're not stupid, Taylor. Just…' He sighed. 'Are you sure?'

She sniffled, scrunching her eyes closed to fight the tears back. 'He's never hidden the fact that he's still in touch with his ex. And there's only one Elena in his phone,' she whispered.

'Hey,' he said, slightly chastising as he rubbed her thumb with his own. 'You're better than you know.' He smiled at her, his dark eyes honest. 'Matt doesn't know how lucky he is.' He licked his lips. 'You don't deserve this."

Taylor looked up at him. 'What do I deserve?' she wondered, lifting a brow. 'And what did I do to deserve this?'

He tugged her forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She buried her head against his shoulder and clutched at his shirt. His hand ran up and down her back, soothing her as she leaned into him.

'If I was in your situation, what would you tell me?' he asked her quietly. 'The Taylor I know would never let a guy walk all over her.' He shook his head, expression severe. 'She would never let any guy cheat on her and think it was okay.'

She rested her head back on his shoulder. 'I think you're talking about a different person,' she told him. 'I grew up as the chubby, nosy kid at school. Guys weren't exactly knocking down my door until I got to college. And even then, that door didn't come crashing down.'

_Danny sighed, squeezing her slightly. 'You've always been too hard on yourself.'_

_Taylor shook her head. 'Not too hard, just realistic. I didn't go out of my way to find a guy. I believed in fairytales and romance, but buried myself in a story. I kept looking at the life out there in the world and forgot about mine. So when "the" guy came along, I only saw the fairytale.'_

_  
He pulled back, his hands finding her shoulders and holding her in front of him as he stared at her. 'There's nothing wrong with a fairytale, Taylor. Everyone deserves a happy ending.' He licked his lips, lifting one of his hands to cup her face, his fingertips slid into her hair. 'You're so focused on the life you wanted that you're not considering the fact that maybe you were meant to live another way. Maybe you were meant for better than this.' His thumb stroked her cheek and she found her head lolling toward the touch._

'If I was meant for better than this, why must there be so much pain to get to it?'

_Danny frowned. 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.'_

'Well maybe I'm tired of being a cliché,' she said, swallowing as he stared at her, his gaze creating a heat, warming her from head to toe; a feeling she'd long forgotten.

_  
__It was wrong… The way she looked at him in that moment. Like she could kiss him and be with him and not feel any regret. And it scared her slightly that she wanted to kiss him, to feel him pressed up against him. In their time at college together, it had never been more than flirting and both were happy with that. If there was no Matt in the picture, she wondered if they would be together now. Probably not. So why she unable to feel guilty about the situation? There should have been regret or remorse or something, but as his lips met hers, all she felt was him, needing her, wanting her. Something which suddenly felt like it had been a lifetime ago since she felt it from Matt.__This__ had never been her intention. _

She didn't know what possessed her but one minute they were sitting there, mouths meshed together and the next she was lying on top of him on the couch, her hands roaming the hard plains of his chest and stroking the muscular sculpt of his arms.. Stomach to stomach, her breasts pressed against his chest, her mouth connected with his, and in that moment, she felt so much more in that moment than she had in months.

Her hips rotated, pressing intimately against him and drawing a deep groan from his throat. His hands slid down her back, one wrapping around her butt and squeezing as she rubbed his growing hardness. The other slid beneath the bottom of her tank top; she hadn't exactly dressed for the occasion, clad in her usual tank top and combats.

_She felt his fingers stroke her skin, splaying out over her and sliding higher, drawing her top up as he went. Their mouths broke apart, in need of air and she kissed down his neck, sucking and nipping at his skin. He sat up abruptly, pulling her top up and off of her so quickly, she barely felt it, her simple black cotton bra on show. Seconds later, she was devoid of that, the cool air of the room against her bare breasts. He ducked his head, kissing down her chest, chin brushing against the top of her breast until he fell low enough to capture one of her nipples with his lips. She leaned back spine arching in pleasure as he lavished her breast with his mouth, teeth nipping at her, tongue soothing.__  
The feel of his bare chest against hers made her gasp. Matt worked out daily, his muscled arms and toned shoulders evidence of this. And whilst Danny wasn't exactly weedy he was more athletically built, and despite the smaller size, Taylor felt much safer in them. His kisses were different too. Hesitant. And yet, like it was all he had ever wanted. Taylor grabbed his shoulders, moving up and down against him so she could feel him pressing up against her though her combats. She knew where this was going just as well as she knew she should stop it. He'd probably regret it later and she would be no better than Matt. But he tasted so good and his hands felt so right__ and as he leaned back against the couch once more, she followed without pause. She kissed his chest; each indent and scar, each rigid muscle, and she nipped down the trail of coarse hair leading from his navel to below his pants._

Taylor's hands slid up the back of his neck, massaging gently before tangling in his hair and holding it tightly. His hands roamed her back, drawing her closer and clutching at her. His hands felt warm against her skin, making her body react to each stroke of his long fingers against her spine. One of Danny's hands rose, never leaving her skin, clutching her hair and bringing her face down toward him until their open moths collided, tongues dueling for control. Suddenly she wanted to feel more of him and so tugged his shirt off hastily, nearly tearing it in the process.

_Her hands were steady as she tugged at his button and fly. Right then, it was just the two of them and nothing else mattered. His hands went down to help pull the jeans off as she helped by lifting herself away from him. The pants were gone, and before she could lower herself back to her previous position, Danny had flipped her over and had reversed the positions._

_Danny's body hovered over her, his fingers wrapped around the end of her panties and the top of her pants. He slid them down slowly, hands taking the time to stroke her flesh as he went. She shivered as they slid down the back of her thighs, squeezing randomly. Finally, she was completely naked, vulnerable, laid out beneath him, thighs parted and heart racing._

'Taylor, you're beautiful,' he told her, ducking his head to press butterfly kisses from her collar to her navel. She felt completely worshipped in that moment, with the caress of his mouth creating fiery patterns in her skin that made her heart stutter in her throat, butterflies flutter in her stomach, and her hips squirm from side to side in anticipation.

Danny's mouth slid lower, tongue delving into Taylor's belly button before he was kissing her hip bones and stroking the insides of her legs. She stared up at him through hooded eyes while he lavished her body as if she were a goddess. Her eyes fluttered closed at the intense feeling and her breath left her in breathy gasps as he nibbled along her clit and sucked at all around her. His fingers were stroking her slowly, delving into her wet core. His tongue struck her clit, lips wrapping around it to stimulate her into crying out in a near sob.

'Oh my God!' Taylor gasped. Her toes curled against the couch beneath her. He was far too good at this, she decided. Finally, she could take no more and as his nose grazed her clit, she arched up against his mouth; her body feeling like it was alive with electricity as she came.

_  
As she laid there, her body writhing in the warm feeling, Danny slid up her. She could feel the heat and weight of his body against hers and there was something oddly__ comforting in that. Her hands fell from his hair, arms wrapping over his shoulders as he kissed her mouth slow and soft. Taylor could feel the tip of him brushing against her entrance each time he leaned forward. He kissed down her face and buried his face against her neck. He entered her then; thrusting deep and groaning against her throat._

Taylor's hands gripped tightly at his sides; she knew her nails were digging into him, but as he slid in and out of her, hitting a certain spot that had her jerking and crying out, her eyes rolled back and she was no longer in control of her fingernails.

_  
And as Danny said her name, stared into her eyes, kissed her lips and touched her body as he slid in and out of her, their skins slick as they moved rhythmically against each other, Taylor couldn't think of anyone or anything else._

One of his hands cupped her cheek, her hair tight between his fingers. She could see the strain in his shoulders, the tenseness of his body as each muscle flexed with the feeling of her wrapping around him.

'You've never been second to anyone to me,' he whispered. His lips moved to her neck, kissing, nibbling at her shoulder and stroking her as he slid in and out deeper and harder each time.

'And you never will be,' he breathed against her ear as her body arched. Her stomach pressed against his, her breasts pushing out, her head thrown back. His arm wrapped around her back, hand cupping her ass and pulling her against him as he sunk into her.

She whimpered, tears springing to her eyes. He felt so good, so hot. Her insides quivered, her body jerked. Seconds later, he sped up and her hips jerked to keep up with the rhythm but it was all too much for her. His lips met hers as he brought her over the edge for the second time, her teeth biting into his bottom lip as felt the waves was over her. Her eyes fell shut, her teeth releasing her captive – she could taste the coppery flavor of blood – but all she could concentrate on was the feel of him, jerking inside of her, warm wetness filling her pleasantly shaking insides. He collapsed on top of her, his head falling to her shoulder.

_  
She felt too good to move or even speak. She just wanted to lie there, relishing in that moment, in those feelings, and never have them fade. But as he fell asleep, the good feelings quickly left her to be replaced another feeling. Guilt._

_Taylor's hand flew to her mouth as she fought back the tears. What exactly had she done? She had always said that she would break up with someone before she'd cheat, and her she was, naked and held firmly in her friend's arms._

_The tears fell in hot tracks as she tried to extract herself from Danny's grip, the sweat from their bodies making it easier. Quickly she gathered her clothes up and flung them on, desperate to make her escape. And then she was gone._

_In her car, she pulled away, not even realizing that driving was the last thing she should be doing. She made it all the way home and had parked up when she realized that the car in front was a Toyota. Matt's Toyota. Her trembling hands only just managing to turn the ignition off before she broke down into great wracking sobs._

"You have to tell Matt." Gus interrupted, her eyes intent on the woman sitting across from her.

"He told me the next day that Elena had been texting him and he showed me the texts. He said I was the only one for him and he knew that he'd been working a lot but he was working towards our future." Taylor sniffed.

Gus let out a sigh a Taylor raked her hands through her hair.

"How about we get you to take a test and then see where we can go from here. It clears up part of the problem, and we can deal with the other half after we know the results." Gus offered trying to figure out how to make things seem that little bit easier.

The truth was she was shocked by Taylor's admission but it didn't mean that she didn't understand it.

Taylor nodded slowly, before wrapping her arms around herself and looking into the distance sadly.

"You stay here and I'll run to the drug store. Hey…" Gus reached out and grasped her friend's hand tightly. "I'll be here all the way, no matter what happens."

Taylor's eyes were brimming with tears again. Gus rose to her feet as Taylor used the hem of her sleeve to wipe away the evidence of her crying.

"Thanks." She murmured, giving Gus a brave smile before the other woman disappeared out of the door and into the street.

* * *

**Hey, well I guess you guys are in for some surprises. This storyline was thought up by Axellia and the two of us padded it out and this is what we achieved. I'd love to hear thoughts! So a special thankies to Axellia people and a round of applause.**

**It's been complete week of ups and downs for me so I thought hey cheer yourself up and post a chap. Also a warning on possible hiatus.**

_Sparky: lol I was sniffing at the end of that chapter too, it's so sad. Lol I'm like come back Sam! The layering on Adam's part was truly shocking lol, it just came out and I was like what the hell… But it works well to his char I think._

_Soccer: well thank you very much and I'm, squeeing about the fact you're planning on sticking about. There's a little Thomas in the next chap._

_BEG: I loved writing that part although it was hard; Hawkes is so interior I find it hard to write his emotions. So I'm glad you think its ok. It's a common situation. I was really sure the TMHT thing was a habit Adam would do, he's the type of guy to still watch that, as Gus will probably discover one morning. Lol as I said that just came out and I love what you did with Hawkes and Sam._

_Katy: lol thank you, I can't wait, and thanks for the review on the chap._

_Daisy: Adam is one of my favs too! I want to see more of him in the series. Carm stats running it soon it's coming up. I hope u get better! _

_Hope: lol I hope so too because it's not a great situation to be in!_

_Ax: Have you got it off your chest yet? The plot bunnies are insane. Sam and Hawkes work wonderfully as a couple and Danny and Cory just need a little space me thinks. Lol I wish that was true about Carm and Flack, here's lots of underlying issues. Lol I think in the end her and Gerrard make friends and rust me at one point he ends up scaring the shit out of her. Lol I so would have made Zach disappear and be like Zach who? I love Adam and Gus they make me laugh and balance just right._

_Eddie: lol it's lovely to see you! Thanks for the review. OMG I was almost screaming too, I was like come on Hawkes make her stay! There's a climatic ending to that._

_Lapland: lol everyone hopes it works out well too! Lmao I can not stop awing them! I interview quite well I just hope it does go well, thanks for the congrats. Lol possibly a fourth guest writer too but we'll have to wait and see._

_Maddy: lol I always worry about writing the Gus parts. I'm sure you'll pick it back up again and how's the assignment going?_


	108. Chapter 108: Make Ups & Break Ups

**AN: Rated M for smut**

Chapter One Hundred and Eight

_I'm going under_

_Drowning in you_

_I'm falling forever_

_I've got to break through_

_I'm going under_

_Evanescence – Going Under_

When Cory awoke the next morning, she groaned as the memories from the previous night washed over her. Heat rose in her cheeks with what she had gotten up to with Carmen and the fact that she was willing to be auctioned off to some random man. _Oh, dear sweet Lord. What did I almost do?_

She glanced around the room, realising that for the first night in a while, she had slept in her own bed. Cautiously, she looked down, to see that she was still clad in the clothes she had worn out and felt shame rise up in her. She was grateful that Danny had brought her home, but it looked as if he had just put her into the bed. _God, he's gotta be pissed at me,_ she thought remorsefully as she quickly got up and found her shoes. She knew that he was still upset and wanted to be out of the apartment before he woke up because she couldn't bear to fight with him anymore.

Sighing, she looked at the bedside table to see her driver's license, credit card, entry card for the hotel room and phone lying there innocently. She picked them up and put them back in her bra, her lips smiling wryly. Then taking a deep breath, she quietly made her way out of the room to leave, glancing regretfully behind her.

She had just made it to the door, when Danny's voice, laced with sarcasm stopped her. "Creeping out of the apartment?"

She turned to see an unreadable expression on his face and shook her head. "I think it's best that we have some time apart," she said softly. "I don't want to fight with you."

Danny cocked an eyebrow. "Really? So that's why you were throwing yourself at Carmen last night?"

Cory blushed again, both at the tone of his voice and the unfamiliar feelings she had felt whilst dancing with her friend, but went back on the defensive. "Look, I was drunk, but it's not like you care! Hell, you put me to bed and left the room. I know you're pissed as hell about what I kept from you, but I can't keep doing this, Danny. I explained why I kept the fact that Garvey was your mother from you, but that doesn't matter, does it? The fact that I've been losing sleep over that and then having you almost killed never occurred to you did it," she seethed as the tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She turned and opened the door, her heart heavy over the fact that she knew that whatever she'd had with Danny was gone.

Danny felt his heart break at the sadness that was etched on her face and mentally kicked himself for putting it there. Just as she started to walk out the door, he found his voice. "I didn't undress you because if I had, I would have taken advantage of you," he said softly.

Cory turned back to him in amazement. "Why did you and Flack pretend to arrest us?" she asked, closing the door.

Danny sighed and decided to be completely honest. "I didn't want another guy to buy you; I hate the idea of you being with anyone else but me. I love you, Cory, and I'm trying to make this work, but it's hard."

Cory's tears fell more rapidly and she reached up to brush them away from her eyes as she threw herself in his arms. "I love you, too. You have no idea how many times I almost said to hell with putting Garvey behind bars so I could tell you. But…I couldn't do that, Danny. As much as I love you, I could not compromise the investigation. Do you understand?"

Danny sighed and tightened his arms around her. "Yeah, I do and that's the part that tore me up inside. Once I calmed down, I realised that I would do the same thing. You did what you had to do and I respect that."

Cory sighed contently as she carefully hugged him back, not wanting to aggravate his injury and giggled. "I can't believe how drunk I got last night."

Danny groaned as he remembered the show he had seen and how aroused he gotten at the sight of her spanking Carmen. It was an aggressive side that he had seen in her before and it just brought home how long it had been since they'd been intimate. "That's why I just left you in the bed. Do you know how hot it was to see you spanking Carmen? Flack wanted to take you home with them!"

Cory pulled back, her face flushed with embarrassment and desire. "Really? So why didn't he try?" she responded cheekily.

Danny just groaned as he captured her lips with his and then pulled back from the almost savage kiss. "I won't share you with anyone," he growled as he rocked his hips into hers. "But watching you up there with Carmen was…." He trailed off and groaned as her hand slipped between their bodies to caress him. "So damn hot," he managed to finish before she took his lips for an equally savage kiss.

When she ended the kiss, she took his hand and led him to the bedroom, her body already protesting the loss of contact. Once in the bedroom, she pushed him towards the bed and grinned wickedly. "What was so hot about it? The thought of me with another woman," she said as she trailed kisses along his jaw and towards his ear. "Or the fact that I spanked her," she breathed into his ear before lightly biting his earlobe.

Danny shuddered as the sensations caused his hardness to increase tenfold. "Both," he admitted.

Cory smiled as she drew back from him, looking him in the eyes deeply and seeing something she had seen before. She smirked as she decided to take control. She grabbed the bottom of his wife beater and tore it off of his body.

Danny shivered at the passion in her eyes and her hands began to wander down his chest. He moaned as her tongue followed the same path, ending right at his belt buckle. He fisted his hands in her hair and pleaded silently for her to continue. When she stood up, he looked at her confused until he felt himself falling onto the soft mattress.

Cory smirked as he landed on the bed and quickly reached over to the nightstand, where they always kept their handcuffs. Whilst hers were at the hotel, she grinned triumphantly to see Danny's in the drawer as normal. She extracted them while Danny was distracted and tucked them into the back of her skirt quickly. Then she resumed her exploration of his body, intent on distracting him enough to put her plan into action.

Danny closed his eyes and Cory's teeth and tongue resumed their torturous exploration, but he opened them quickly as he felt the cold metal of handcuffs encircling his wrist. "Um…Cory? What are you doing?" he asked nervously.

Cory just looked down at him, lust flaming in her eyes. "Do you trust me?" she asked. He nodded and she smiled. "I'm going to make this something that'll you'll never forget, but I have to be careful, because I don't want to hurt your back again."

Danny nodded. "I trust you, Cory. More than I trust anyone else."

Cory nodded and smiled as she quickly cuffed him to the headboard. She lightly trailed her fingers down his torso, feeling his shiver in anticipation. Once she reached his belt buckle again, she deftly unbuckled it, her hand lightly touching him through the material.

Danny's hips jerked as she touched him through his trousers, feeling his excitement as his hips bucked a little. She smirked as she slowly undressed him, his hardness spring out at attention. Slowly, she trailed her hands down his legs, removing his trousers, boxers before caressing her way back up his legs.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sensations that her hands were causing, so when the wet heat of her mouth enveloped him, his hips jerked in surprise and he let out a loud moan. He felt her tongue moving along his shaft as her right hand circled his base. "Oh, God," he moaned as he felt the end coming closer. "I'm close," he managed to utter as his body began to shake.

Cory quickly removed her mouth and tightened her grip along his base, preventing his orgasm. Danny whined in protest as he opened is eyes. When he saw the look of dominance in her eyes, the words he'd been about to utter were washed away. She stared at him, licking her lips, until he felt himself recede from the edge. She felt it to and keeping her eyes locked with his, lowered her mouth again.

Danny became lost in the sensations; she brought him to the peak three more times, each time his whine of protest groaning louder and longer. By that time, he was covered in sweat and panting. He opened his eyes and saw her get off the bed, before pulling up her skirt slightly to remove her panties. She climbed back on the bed and straddled him, her hand reaching down to guide him inside of her. He sucked in a breath at the sensation, feeling how wet she was.

Cory closed her eyes as she guided him inside her, revelling in the feeling she hadn't had in close to three months. Her head fell back as she rotated her hips slowly, her hands gliding over her clothed body.

Danny stared at her, feeling himself grow again at the sight of her riding him fully clothed. Her breaths started to come in faster pants as her arousal rose. "God, Cory…" he breathed as he lifted his hips, wanting to increase the pace.

Cory smirked at him, settling her weight on him so he couldn't move. "Oh no, Messer," she said, her voice husky.

Danny moaned and bit his lips as he tried to fight off the orgasm, but knew that he was fighting a losing battle. "Cory…" he breathed. "I can't last." Cory smiled at him and he watched her hand disappear under her skirt and he felt her fingers moving over her clit. He felt her walls clenching around him as her hips moved faster and she leaned back, supporting her weight on her left arm.

He groaned as he moved his hips faster and in three thrusts he felt his long pending orgasm finally was over him, her name being torn from his lips over and over as it seemed to last. As his hips jerked a final time, he felt her clench and scream in desire.

As she collapsed on top on him in satisfaction, he looked at her. "Fuck Cory. That was amazing."

Cory just smiled as she reached for the handcuff key and let him loose before snuggling in his arms. "I missed you," she said whilst yawing and giving in to the lure of sleep.

Danny just pulled her into his arms, stroking her back lightly. "I missed you, too. _Ti amo, bella__,_" he responded as he drifted off to sleep as well with the realisation that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

* * *

The bed was rocking, a sensation I was not accustomed upon waking up. In fact the shock of finding my body moving on its own accord was enough to send my heart into a wild panic as my eyes snapped open.

"Mommy!! Wake up!" Thomas's shrill voice pierced my skull like a knife as a throbbing headache descended on me.

I rolled onto my back feeling utterly sick and sleep deprived. Thomas was standing over me, hands on his hips, wearing his Pokémon jacket over his t-shirt and kid jeans. He peered at me from under his dark mop of hair. Flack had obviously just picked him up from Stella's place.

"Daddy, I think mommy's sick." Thomas remarked, dropping to his knees next to me and narrowing his evergreen eyes to stare at me.

God he was his father through and through.

"Mommy had too much to drink last night." Flack remarked before dropping down onto the bed.

His back was against my side as he smiled, looking somewhat amused as he smoothed the hair away from my forehead before kissing my lips chastely.

I glared at him as he pulled away realizing what had actually amused him.

"You let him in here on purpose." I hissed as Thomas lay down next to me. I wrapped my near arm around him as he snuggled into the quilt that covered me.

His head rested on my shoulder. I smoothed his dark hair gently before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"It's payback for last night." Flack smirked as he watched Thomas yawn.

"You loved last night." I shot back, resting my cheek on Thomas's head as I toyed with his fine hair.

"You are so gay." Flack muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Mommy what's gay?" Thomas piped up suddenly.

My eyes went wide for a second as Flack sniggered at my predicament, as I struggled to answer the question.

"Gay is when you are very, very happy." I replied, remembering the dictionary definition for the word.

"I'm gay mommy!" Thomas informed the both of us.

Flack suddenly erupted with laughter as I hide my grin under a light kiss on Thomas's forehead.

"Mommy can I get in the bed with you?" Thomas asked, sounding tired.

The answer was usually yes because usually I wore pyjamas to bed, but at the current moment I was very aware of the fact I was naked. Flack was on his feet scooping up he small boy before an answer flew to my lips.

"Come on Scamp; let's go make mom some tea to make her feel better huh?" Flack spoke with an enthusiasm that only he could muster at… I checked the clock and groaned…nine thirty in the morning. I'd been asleep four hours.

"Can I pour the milk daddy?" Thomas asked excitedly waving his fists in the air.

"Only if you're very, very careful." Flack warned him, before winking at me.

I mouthed my thank you before he closed the bedroom door to give me some privacy.

Now all I had to do was find my pyjamas.

* * *

It was noon when I woke up again, Thomas was curled up between me and Flack in the centre of the bed. His head was resting on my shoulder, his thumb in his mouth as I turned my head to see Flack watching the two of us, a contented smile across his face.

"Hm…You look happy." I remarked.

"It's been a while since the three of us have had time to breathe." Flack reminded me, he propped up his head with his hand, his eyes on Thomas watching him sleep.

I sighed, looking up at the ceiling, hands resting on my stomach.

"Ain't that the truth." I agreed. "You ever wanted to just get away sometimes?"

Flack pulled a face as I turned my head to take in his expression. He looked thoughtful.

"Never away from you…From the job, yeah but not from our marriage. What about you?"

He was concerned I could tell, I offered him a reassuring smile before staring at the ceiling again, feeling the need to explain.

"The one time we almost separated, nearly killed me. I want… I feel like there's more than this, more to me. I feel like I get confused between who I am and who the job is. Does that make any sense?" I frowned as I spoke, opening up for the first time about my conflict.

"A little."

I felt myself deflate a little at the disappointed tone in his voice and decided not to tell him what else had been on my mind recently.

"So I guess I owe you breakfast." I changed the subject to lighter things.

"You almost owed me three hundred dollars but if you wanna make pancakes, I guess that will do." He teased, his eyes sparkling as he reached over and kissed my cheek before removing himself from the bed to go the bathroom.

I lay there in bed cradling our son to me wondering when both of us would finally get up the courage to speak the words that hung between us.

* * *

Taylor sat on the fire escape staring down at the little plastic item in her hands. Outside, the evening night was warm, and yet she was chilled to the bone. The test Gus had brought back had turned positive. As had the second one the box held, the next two from the second back Taylor had bought on her way home, and the one she was holding in her hands at that moment.

It wasn't that the child _might_ not be Matt's. It was that there was no way on earth that it _could_ be. The small fact she had neglected to Gus was that Matt was sterile. He'd caught Scarlet Fever in his younger years and that had been an unfortunate side effect. It was also why Elena and he had broken up – she wanted kids and refused to adopt.

Not having kids hadn't bothered Taylor. She knew she was scatty as hell, and with ghosts dictating her life, she was pretty convinced she'd make a lousy mother. Whilst all her friends had been babysitters when she was younger, she had been given the responsibility once, and when the child had been found outside at three am, sleeping in the doghouse with the Alsatian by the police, no one back in Mount Pleasant had ever asked her to babysit. Even Carmen was wise enough not to let Taylor look after Thomas unless Matt was with her.

Now, having a child was a very scary, and very _real_ prospect. And the father wasn't going to be the man she was about to marry.

Taylor's fist closed around the piece of plastic tightly as she leant her head back against the brick behind her. She was six weeks pregnant and wondering how the hell she had allowed herself to get into this situation.

Behind her, from inside the flat, she heard the door unlock, and she quickly thrust the incriminating item into one of the pockets of her combats

"Taylor?" Matt's voice called through the apartment.

"Out here," she called back as she got to her feet and climbed back into the bedroom.

"What are you doing out there?" Matt asked as he came into the bedroom and stripped off his work shirt, dropping it in an unceremonious heap on the floor, pulling a clean polo shirt out of the dresser and pulling it on.

"Thinking," Taylor replied, watching him.

"About?" Matt asked as his head popped though the top of his shirt.

"Us."

Matt sighed. "Actually, so have I," he told her. "I know what you're thinking."

Taylor could feel her chest constrict at that statement. "You do?" she forced herself to respond.

Matt nodded. "That I haven't been around much, and when I have, I've been a bit distant."

Taylor gave him a small smile, not saying anything.

"The truth is I've been thinking about the future. I got a job offer," he explained.

"That's great," Taylor told him, genuinely pleased from him.

"It's been on the table for a while now, but I didn't want to bring it up while you were still working at the Daily. It's in Richmond," he explained, seeing Taylor's puzzled face.

"Richmond?" Taylor repeated, sitting heavily on the end of the bed. "What's in Richmond?"

"The FBI. They want me to head a team there, and help train the new recruits upstate in Quantico." Matt rounded the bed and knelt down in front of her, peering up into her almost black eyes. "It's good money, and it's more nine-to-five that the job I have at the moment, which means I would get to spend more time with you." Seeing the tears in Taylor's eyes, and misreading them, he continued. "Real estate is much better in Virginia than it is in New York City. We could get a nice big house with a porch, somewhere for Nelson to roam, a white picket fence – the whole nine yards."

"I don't think I can," Taylor muttered, dropping her gaze, unable to meet his eyes any longer.

"You don't have the commitment to the paper anymore, and you can work on your novel anywhere. It's only a couple hours flight so we can come back to visit our friends, or even if you need to see your friend for help with your story, although with me working for the FBI, I bet I would be able to provide some good inside knowledge." Matt grabbed her hand, gently stroking it. "Look, let's go there for a week – have a little vacation and see if it suits us. I don't want to go unless you're happy to."

Taylor, tears now streaming down her face, looked up to meet his eyes. Matt's expression was a combination of worried and fearful – he hadn't expected her to have such a strong reaction to the suggestion. "I can't," she whispered.

"We can drive down there," Matt suggested, a hint of pleading to his tone – whilst he didn't want to go without Taylor, truth be told, he really did want this job.

"I'm pregnant," Taylor blurted out.

Matt blinked. "What?"

"I'm pregnant," Taylor repeated, her tone softer.

Matt dropped her hand and rose to his feet, taking a step back. "Pregnant?" he repeated. "How?"

Taylor looked away, to ashamed to answer him.

"How?" Matt repeated, forcefully.

"I had sex," Taylor told him.

"Who's is it?" Matt asked her. "Because we both know it isn't mine."

Taylor looked up at him. His face was black as thunder – she had never seen him this angry. Not that she blamed it. "Is that important?" she asked him.

"Is that important?" he repeated. "Is that _important_?" he roared, turning, grabbing the first think of the side of the dresser, which happened to be a picture of the pair of them, and hurled it across the room. It hit the full length mirror, sending shards of glass flying to the floor. "I think I have a right to know who you've been fucking behind my back."

Taylor leapt to her feet. "It was just the once," she told him.

"And that makes it okay? You're my fiancé, Taylor. We're supposed to be getting fucking _married_ in three months!"

"Matt," she begged. "Please."

Matt shook his head, storming over to the wardrobe and pulling a bag out from it.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her heart fluttering with panic.

"You think I'm staying here whilst you're carrying another man's baby?" he asked her in disgust as he began thrusting items into the holdall.

"Matt, it's not like that," Taylor told him, tears streaming down her face, as she grabbed at his arm.

Matt stopped and turned suddenly, his eyes cold as he shook himself free of her grasp. "Don't touch me," he told her. "You make me feel sick. And right now it's taking all the willpower I have inside me not to knock you five days from Sunday."

"Please, Matt," she pleaded. "I'm sorry."

The holdall fell to the floor as Matt made a sweeping motion sending all of the items on the chest of drawers – namely Taylor's perfume, make up and jewellery – flying across the room, more items shattering at the force. "Don't."

Taylor took a step back, a hand covering her mouth.

Matt ignored her, continuing to thrust various items into his bag. Finally, he slung it over his shoulder and made for the door. He stopped in the doorway and turned to look at her. "Who was it?"

"Matt," Taylor pleaded.

"Who the _fuck_ have you been _fucking_ behind my _fucking_ back?" he demanded, his voice even, yet deadly.

Taylor winced at every cuss word – he never swore. "Danny Taylor," she admitted quietly.

A moment of confusion flashed through Matt's eyes, before he realised who she was referring to. "Your FBI friend?" he asked in disbelief.

"Matt," Taylor tried again.

Matt shook his head. "Just answer me this. Was he better than me? Was it worth it?"

"Matt, please!"

"I said, was he _fucking worth it?_" Matt spat.

"Matt, I'm sorry," Taylor cried.

Matt shook his head again. "I don't want to hear it, Taylor," he told her as he walked through their apartment for the door.

"Where are you going?" Taylor asked, chasing after him.

Matt turned in the main doorway. "Richmond." And then he slammed the door shut behind him.

Taylor stared at the door, the sound of it shutting still echoing about the apartment. "No," she whispered as she crumpled to the floor. "He wasn't worth it."

* * *

_**Firstly that Hiatus thing, did not work out lol. I've written up to 110 of DI so we have some chapters saved up for you to read, as we have some fab ideas as usual.**_

_**Secondly for anyone whose interested I'm plugging my Carm/Sam story**__, The Tale Of Two Girls._

_**Thank you to Sparkycsi for being a fab beta and writing the Cory part of this chapter! And of course Thank You guys for reading!**_

_Katy:__ lol there's more to come. Lol There's noting to really explain besides the fact they were drunk. Thanks for the review._

_BEG: lol hiatus did not happen as you know. I was depressed for a few days and then I wrote. So thank you for the support. Lol Carmen is a naughty girl, she's so open minded lol. I want table sex with Flack! It was move Ax's idea then mine, I asked her what she wanted to see, she said evil Taylor and that's how it panned out. Lol you'll have to wait and see what happens lol._

_Soccer: lol life gets in the way for everyone so no sweat, lol I'm glad you liked it!_

_Bad: lol it's not a problem, lol it's ok to take time off. Carmen drunk is funny. I'm glad you liked this chapter. Here's some Thomas just for you._

_Sparky: lol I love their wild sides! I know about the italics that was an FF fault me thinks because it was fine before I put it up! Thanks for helping write this._

_Hope: lol I am glad you liked this chapter, it was fun to write. Lol I felt so sorry for Flack while she was trying to molest him._

_Lapland: lol I needed a cold shower after this chapter. Lol Everyone was doing everything, all being naughty! Lol I got back on the horse and you have a few more chaps!_

_Blue: lol Sorry about that, and you just found out who the daddy was? You surprised?_


	109. Chapter 109: Surprise, Surprise

**Chapter One Hundred and Nine**

_Well my heart knows me better than I know myself  
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking.  
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere  
With a big black horse and a cherry tree._

I felt a little fear upon my back  
He said "Don't look back, just keep on walking."

_KT Tunstall – Black Horse and A Cherry Tree_

Danny looked down at Cory. After they had made up, they had gotten up only three times. Twice to eat and once to take a shower. Danny smiled at the memory and the twinge in his back that told him that he might have overworked his back a little bit. _It was worth it,_ he thought with a smile. He felt more content and at peace holding Cory in his arms than he had since before he was attacked and he sensed the same thing from her. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

They were currently lying in her bed, just before five a.m. Danny had woken up about fifteen minutes prior and found to his delight that Cory had burrowed into his arms. He sighed deeply, breathing in her unique scent that was a combination of her shampoo—_I really need to buy stock in Herbal Essences, he thought—_and her soap. He feathered a soft kiss on her temple, before closing his eyes again, grateful to be able to go back to sleep.

He was just drifting off to sleep, when he heard her whimper.

Cory opened her eyes to see a field of bluebonnets. With a resigned sigh, she turned to look at Armando. "You really don't like me being happy, do you?" she asked.

Armando just shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's still so much more for you to see, Cory." He looked at her apologetically. "Take my hand, please."

Cory sighed and did just that before closing her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes to find herself staring at the back of Mac's head. She looked around studying her surroundings. She was surprised to find that Armando had taken them to a cemetery.

"This is four months after the explosion," Armando told her. It sounded as if he was trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. Cory focused on the scene in front of her.

Mac was arranging a bunch of yellow roses in front of a memorial stone; his body shielded the writing on it from Cory's view.

"What happened to the others?" Cory asked aware that she hadn't seen anything of Gus, Stella, Hawkes, or Taylor and Matt.

"All in due time," Armando answered. Cory frowned, watching as Mac pulled away fro the stone to study his arrangement. For a full moment Cory couldn't speak while she read the name on the stone.

"They never found Stella's body," Armando recounted to Cory, who was staring at the stone still unable to tear her gaze away.

"Just like Clare," she whispered. Armando nodded his response. Mac was kneeling there now, his eyes on the memorial, never wavering.

"I wish you were here," Mac murmured to the stone.

"Everybody seems so lost, and I… I can't help them Stell. If you were here then maybe you'd know the right words to say to Carmen, or maybe you'd be able to get Gus to stop drinking." Mac shook his head.

"I don't know what to do anymore Stell, I miss you so much. The lab's falling apart without you. Nobody knows how to laugh anymore. I just wish I knew where you were." The silence that echoed around Mac was suddenly penetrated by a loud shrill noise. Mac clenched his jaw before taking the cell phone out of his pocket and placing it against his ear.

"Taylor…" he paused for a second before nodding.

"I'll be right there." Cory watched sadly as Mac walked slowly towards the gates of the cemetery. Armando took Cory's hand, leaving the cemetery far behind them.

Cory awoke with a start, tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to Danny murmur to her softly. She turned and looked into his deep blue eyes, her sorrow overwhelming her as his arms crushed her body into his.

Danny stared at her, the pain that was showing in her eyes, and knew that she had just had another vision. He felt her body shaking as she held back the sobs she was obviously feeling and pulled her more securely into his arms. "Shush, it's alright. I've got ya. I'll never let you go, _bella. Ti amo,"_ he whispered to her over and over until the tension left her body and he felt her sigh softly as she went back to sleep. _God, what the hell are these visions about?_

* * *

It was Monday morning and the rain was coming down in sheets outside, despite the fact it was almost the end of May. I could hear the pitter-patter on the windows outside as I rubbed my blurry eyes and glanced at the clock on the nightstand, its red numbers blinding me a little.

Five Forty Seven. I didn't have to be at work until nine but I was restless and wide awake.

Something was wrong I could feel it; I just didn't know what it was. It was a like a sixth sense coursing through my body. I took a deep breath trying to figure out what had woken me.

Don was mumbling in his sleep, I turned under the covers to face him curious. Don rarely spoke in his sleep, and I knew it had been that that had woken me.

He let out a sharp cry, I drew back suddenly in surprise before realizing what was actually going on when his arms started to thrash. His body was covered in sweat, and his face pulled into a grimace. He whimpered now, and I knew whatever he was dreaming about was horrific, he had rolled onto his side and was curled into a ball, and I felt my heart wrench. He as always the strong one out of the two of us, and now it was showing.

I moved towards him. Pressing my body against his and curving around him. I wrapped my arm around his chest, clutching him close as I kissed his neck gently. My fingers combed through his hair softly, as I whispered into his ear, reassuring him I was here, there was no need to be frightened. My thumb was stroking across his t-shirt, caressing the place where his heart would be.

He jerked awake suddenly; I could hear the rasp of his breathing and feel the panic his body was in as it wrenched against mine. He was struggling to breath; he was only half awake, half here, half there.

"It's ok Don, your safe," I murmured, tracing the curve of his shoulder and neck with my nose, my lips following soothingly behind.

"I'm here," I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder as his breathing became more regular and his movements calmer.

I held him onto him tightly trying to make him feel as safe and secure as he made me feel.

I rubbed my cheek against his hair lightly, before I felt him moving. I shifted so he could roll onto his back. His eyes were scrunched up as he took long deep breaths. He swallowed hard before opening his beautiful blue eyes and looking up at me as I tilted my head with a small smile. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest underneath my hand as I smoothed the hair away from his forehead and kissed the tip of his nose.

"You were having a nightmare," I said quietly.

My fingertips brushed his cheek bone before tracing along his jaw as my thumb crossed his lips tenderly. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

"Thomas…I thought something happened to Thomas," he muttered. "Instead of Matt's car it was yours and you were both inside."

I pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before propping my head up with my hand on the pillow. My free hand was tracing delicate patterns on Don's chest through his black t-shirt.

"Nothing's going to happen to us," I promised focusing on the swirling patterns I was creating, I knew he found them relaxing, I didn't do them often enough.

"The Garvey trial is coming up soon and I think that's playing on your mind a little. It's a big thing but you're handling it amazingly. I'm proud of you Don, it was a really tough thing for you to do but you made the right decisions," I told him honestly.

"Here was me thinking you hated me because it almost broke up our marriage and made me betray my best friend." Don said bluntly.

I frowned as my fingers wove a wiggly line up along his abdomen and to the centre of his chest.

"I never hated you Don, I could never hate you. I responded badly to the situation. I think you're doing a good job, the best job that anyone can do, and I love you for it," I told him, studying his face.

"I like it when you say it, it seems lately the only times you've said it recently are when we're having sex," he admitted as I bowed my head.

He was right of course. I'd become hard lately, I'd been selfish and I'd been shunning him, and he had been trying, Lord knows he had.

"It seems I owe you a little love." I smiled as he nodded is agreement, his expression looking more peaceful.

I rested my head on the pillow, my chin on his shoulder, my lips against his ear.

"I love the way you are with Thomas, I can't think of anyone who could be a better father. I love the way your eyes twinkle when you laugh. I love the way your stubble feels across my face when you kiss my cheek. I love the way you can be as aggressive as hell in the interrogation room and then come home and still have the energy to play with Thomas. Above all though Don, I love your heart, because it's the most special thing about you because it's so big, you have compassion for every victim and your love for people knows no bounds. I love you Don Flack and I will always love you."

Flack was silent now; I could hear his breathing even and deep as his head tilted towards me, so his nose was touching mine. My finger caressed his cheek as a small smile curved across my face.

"Love you Princess," he returned sleepily, my hand resting on the back of his neck.

"Love you too, Dick Tracey." I smirked, as I shuffled closer.

"I should send that DVD back to Sam, so you can stop quoting things from it," he mumbled.

"Where do you think I get my cop skills from? Dick Tracey is my hero, I learned from the best," I teased.

"You are not a 1920's gumshoe," he reminded me wearily.

"You'd suit a hat you know."

"I'm not partaking in your Dick Tracey fantasies," he informed me.

I giggled before the two of us settled down again. I like the feel of him wrapped in my arms, it reminded me that sometimes even big bad Homicide Detectives need someone too.

* * *

"Well this is a surprise; a nice big breakfast laid out for little old me," Don announced as he stepped into the kitchen taking in the array of food on the table.

I'd risen an hour earlier than I had to fix up the pancakes, fresh coffee and croissants that now littered the chequered table cloth.

"I've already dropped Thomas off at day care and picked you up this morning's paper," I informed him as he slid into seat, looking slightly overwhelmed.

I stood in front of him, hands clasped together watching as he sipped the cup of steaming coffee in front of him.

"Did I forget it was our anniversary?" he asked tentatively, looking slightly confused.

I wracked my brains for a minute shaking my head.

"That's not until October," I replied puzzled, sliding into my seat.

Don set down his mug of coffee before looking me straight in the eyes.

"What's the occasion?" he asked bluntly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, fixing my gaze on my tea as I stirred it.

"You don't usually make breakfast; in fact I'm pretty sure in our whole marriage you haven't made breakfast. Did you do something? Or injure someone? Did you hit Gerrard…"

"Wha…No of course not I do have some self restraint," I retorted, rolling my eyes.

Flack scanned the head line of the paper before returning his attention back to me.

"You usually leave all this stuff for me to do; it just seems … A little out of place that you've decided to do it," he stated, eyeing me with suspicion.

"It's just…well…There's two of us in this marriage and you always seem to do more than your fair share, and I thought it was time to show you I appreciate you…" I averted my eyes at the intensity of his gaze.

"And…" he prompted

"And we may get a visit off the pet welfare people today, on the way out Mrs Henderson's dog ran under my feet as I was walking and I accidently kicked it and because it's a Chihuahua, it kinda flew and hit the reception desk…" I distracted myself by studying the pattern on the table. "Anyway she called me a brute and threatened to call animal welfare, I don't condone kicking animals but on some level you know it deserved it because it yaps at me every time I walk past it and it tried to bite my ankle last week…"

"Princess? You're rambling." He grinned at me from across the table.

"I know I'm just not good with this stuff. The whole interacting as a couple thing, it's a little nerve wracking especially when…well I know I've been out of the loop on the whole thing, and being a good wife? Well you know I'm not gonna sit down and be the one to bake you some cookies when you get home from a hard day at the office," I informed him.

"You done now?" Don asked tilting his head at me playfully.

"Yea… I think it's all out."

"It's good to have you back then Princess, you kinda had me scared for a little while, when you climbed back into your shell after Angell's accident, but it looks like your past it," he told me honestly, munching on his pancakes and pulling a face.

"How are the pancakes?" I asked, grimacing as he swallowed hard, and then took the biggest gulp of coffee he could.

"You put baking powder in them didn't you?" he choked between washing his mouth out with it and gesturing with his fork.

"Yea…You're not supposed to, are you?" I questioned, I thought I'd remembered that recipe wrong.

"No…" Flack chuckled, pushing the plate away.

"There's toast." I offered, pushing the plate of toast towards him.

"Did you use butter or something else?" he asked, peering at it suspiciously.

"I doubt even Taylor can screw up toast." I retorted, snatching a piece for myself.

"You know she'd probably find away." Don returned, happily chewing his toast. "You know I almost expected yellow play dough for a second there." He said waving around the piece of toast.

"I am not that bad." I snickered, shaking my head.

"Oh yea, you are and were. You let Thomas play with the tampons out your purse because you wanted to distract him when you were trying to change his diaper, and then you put the diaper on the wrong way."

"Hey, it was first time parenting. You know the only baby I had experience with before that was at a Christening when someone actually shoved the baby into my arms," I confessed.

"You're doing a pretty good job now. Our son's three years old and he's one of the happiest children we know. You're a good mom," he told me, his eyes staring straight into mine.

I felt colour flush across my cheeks as I ducked my head checking my watch.

"A good mom who is apparently running late to work. How can that be? I got up early and everything!" I exclaimed, rising to my feet and snatching my jacket off the back of the chair and claiming my hand bag.

"It was the baking power pancakes." Flack told me, a mouth full of toast.

"I gotta go, be good, your Dad's picking Thomas up at three and I'm home at six… Maybe if my case load stays down and Mac manages to run through everything. So I will see you…" I kissed him hurriedly on the lips. "When you get in later."

"If you're lucky I may take you out for dinner. Show you no hard feelings over the pancakes." He teased.

"I would like that…I really have gotta run," I told him as I rushed to the door, grabbing my keys and cell phone off the cabinet and slamming it closed behind me.

* * *

Gus, herself was having an already busy morning. Taylor had stayed over last night in light of Matt's current departure. It had taken all of Gus's patience to calm the other woman down and actually force her to take the bed; even then she'd ended up sleeping in the same bed as Taylor because the other woman was crying well into the night.

Adding to this morning sickness had started to rear its ugly head, and she was woken up at six to the sound of Taylor vomiting her guts out in the bathroom. Without Matt in the picture at the moment Gus had taken it upon herself to play the caring role in the pregnancy for now…

She'd held Taylor's dark hair as the other woman had vomited violently until the point of sheer exhaustion. She'd cajoled Taylor into the shower and then eventually taken her out for a nice refreshing breakfast. Taylor had then thanked Gus and left to go home, where she said she'd be completely fine. She just needed a few hours alone to absorb everything that had happened over the past few days. Gus made a mental note to check on her friend later on in the day.

She was tired, emotionally drained and restless, and she knew that Taylor must be feeling even worse. Her fiancé had just left her for being pregnant with another man's baby; life could not get much worse for her.

Adam was still at work, he'd been called out before Taylor had gotten to Gus's apartment. Mac was low on CSI's at the minute, but Carmen was going back to work today and Danny was due back in the next few weeks so the pressure would be off Adam and Hawkes a little. Adam was extremely apologetic every time he got a call out and Gus was always quick to reassure him it wasn't a problem. She was looking forward to going back to work. The doctor had to give her one final check up and then she'd be back hopefully at the end of the week.

To be honest her free time was driving her nuts. She'd caught up on all the books and movies she'd ever wanted to see, she'd caught up with everyone, she just wanted her life back and being a cop, well that was an important part of it.

Plus at the current moment she was standing in the middle of Starbucks trying to weave her way through some obnoxious business men with two scolding hot cardboard cups of coffee in her hands.

A double espresso with caramel for Adam, and mocha for herself, she liked doing little things like this for Adam. She loved the way his face lit up when she surprised him, he never expected anything from her and she found that endearing and lovable.

"Here, let me get the door for you," a voice offered as she approached the glass doorway.

"Thanks," she murmured, looking up and feeling a jolt of recognition.

The man in front of her was 5'12, with sandy coloured hair and peach fuzz on his chin. His eyes were a vibrant green, not as bright as Adam's but enough to be noticeable.

"Doc Broussard? I thought it was you," the man returned warmly as Gus scrambled for a name.

"Brad Renshaw, how are you doing?" she returned as he followed her out of the door and into the street, so they were out the way of the Starbucks foot traffic.

"Wow, Doc you look great. Your hair's different, and you're glowing. Wow you look amazing," he said appreciatively, studying her face.

"Thank you; this is what a little while off work does to people. So what are you up to? How are you doing?" she asked her former patient.

Brad Renshaw, she remembered had come to her with an acute anxiety disorder after his wife of five years had left him. He had trouble letting go of the relationship, as she recalled his wife had run off with a woman she'd met down at the local health spa. He'd been suffering from feelings of being inadequate and had stopped had latched on to calling his ex wife, six seven times a day in order to find out what he'd done to "turn her gay" as he put it.

Eventually under intense therapy, he'd eventually let go of the relationship and was moving on to bigger and better things, he'd been starting his own security firm and it had been doing pretty damn well from what she'd heard. She'd transferred him over to a colleague of hers after she'd made the decision to switch careers and hadn't seen him since.

"Still single, the business is doing well, better than I hoped. I've been volunteering down at the church, helping out some of the kids around the neighbourhood. So yea things are going great. What about you, liking your new change of career?" he asked her, his thumbs looped though his belt holes as he rocked back and forth a little on his feet.

Gus didn't remember telling him that she was changing careers, but she guessed she must have at some point since he was bringing it up. She shifted the coffee slightly before answering the question.

"It's different from the therapy but good different; it's something I needed to do," Gus told him with a smile.

"I'm glad, I'm really glad," he replied rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I don't suppose you wanna grab a coffee and catch up? You know considering we're not Doctor and patient anymore."

"I'm sorry I'm meeting someone, I should be one my way right now," she exaggerated.

Technically she was, although Adam didn't actually know she was coming.

"Well how about dinner? You know? Something to say thank you for helping me out." Brad said, his hand already snaking in his pocket and pulling out his card.

"I'm pretty busy at the moment," Gus told him, propping the coffee underneath her arm and against her chest.

"Here take the card and give me a call sometime." Brad clasped her hand tightly as he slid the card into it. "It was really great seeing you again Gus."

"Yea, you too Brad," she said, drawing her hand away quickly and slipping the card into her pocket, before gripping the coffees.

As Gus took off down the street, and toward the Crime Lab, she knew that his eyes were on her back watching every step she took.

* * *

_**Howdy peeps! Life's a little busy as usual but I'll try and be regular with updates! Special thanks to my beta Sparkycsi! Lmao I'm rocking out to Aerosmith at the min, and getting ready to write some more!**_

_Blue: lol he's one of the guys from Without A Trace! There's nothing Taylor can do, I really feel for her in this situation. It's not the best but it ranks high. Sparkycsi wrote the Cory/Danny smut so let's clap for her!_

_Sparky: lol I was fanning myself off with the whole Danny/Cory smut lol. This chapter is meant to shock and surprise people. Lol I too am sending love out to them!_

_BEG: The chapter was hard as hell to write. Lol can so imagine Colin reading that and pouting. Lol Smut is relationship friendly. Lol I had to slip the gay thing in because it made me giggle, I saw a kid in a whole Pikachu outfit. It made me laugh. You'll have to wait and see what happens to Matt and Tay! _

_Hope: lol I try and fit as much as I can into each chapter, I'm glad you liked it though. It's hard trying to get all the chars interacting with each other and delving into all their lives._

_Soccer: I'm glad you loved the chapter, thanks for the review._

_Bad: lol she is awful after drinking lol and I loved Thomas too, he's so cute!_

_Joanne: Don't worry about how long it's been, I'm just glad you're coming back. I had to bring Thomas in more because I kept pushing him into the background. Lol I feel for Matt too but at the same time you need to take his job into consideration! So its not entirely on Taylor, it was a fun surprise though._


	110. Chapter 110: Is Honesty The Best Policy?

Chapter One Hundred and Ten

_I'm leaving tonight  
Going somewhere deep inside my mind  
I close my eyes slowly  
Flowin' away slowly  
But I know I'll be alright  
It's coming stronger to me  
And I know someone is out there_

_What I'm gonna live for  
What I'm gonna die for  
Who you gonna fight for  
I can't answer that_

_Bryn Christopher – The Quest_

The corridor to the apartment was silent as I attempted to juggle my keys; the 'homework' Mac had given me to go through tonight and my hand bag. My keys were looped in my fingers as I stumbled towards the door, unable to see because of the huge pile of folders I had piled up in my arms. My boot connected with something solid as I lurched towards the door, causing me to trip. The folders flew out of my hands, crashing to the ground as I took a deep breath and exhaled through my mouth.

"Jesus Christ, are you trying to kill me?!" I heard a familiar voice bellow as I glanced down.

Matt was sitting on the plush carpet, his back pressed to my apartment door. A black overnight bag was resting alongside him, a half drunk bottle of scotch was clasped in his right hand as he angrily shoved the hard back folders off of his body. He had a red mark on his forehead from where the corner of one of the folders had caught him.

"Death by folder is a new one for me," I muttered as I crouched down beside him and began to pick up all of the folders that had scattered around him. "Is there a reason you're outside my door drinking scotch? Because that's why you got a folder to your face."

"You're such a fucking comedian," he shot back, handing me one of the folders before picking up my keys and rising to his feet, swaying.

"Jesus Matt." I dropped the folders to catch him as he overbalanced and toppled towards me.

His body slumped against mine as I struggled to hold up his larger frame. I got a whiff of booze, smoke and cheap perfume as he tried to get steady on his feet.

"You know I'm supposed to be on a plane to Richmond right now? I drank a little too much medicine in the airport bar and they refused to let me on the plane," he told me as he righted himself.

I frowned as I managed to get my keys into the lock and kick open the door with my foot. Matt was in a state of severe chaos, I could see it a mile away. He rarely drank unless it was for a special occasion, and I had no idea why the hell he was going on about Richmond and airports.

"You go on in, and sit down and I'll clear this mess up," I said with a sigh, getting down on my knees to pick up the folders again.

I heard Matt accidently clip the doorframe as he tried to dodge around me and through the doorway. Considering Matt's size and his current state he must have had a hell of a lot to drink if he was in this condition. I'd never seen him like this before.

I was on my feet again now, folders clenched in my hands as I shuffled through the doorway and into the living room and kitchen area. I let my folders slide onto the kitchen table before I flicked the kettle on and turned to face Matt as he sat on the couch, head in his hands, and overnight bag at his feet.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

"I need a new life," he informed me as he raised his head to meet my eyes.

"What's so wrong with this one?" I asked, turning my back on him to deposit the coffee in the mugs and then add the water.

"I'm losing everything," he sniffed.

I stirred the coffee and set it on the table in front of him before dropping down on the couch beside him.

"You still have Taylor, your job…"

"I don't have Taylor!" he suddenly erupted. "Someone else has Taylor. Danny Taylor has Taylor!"

My jaw dropped as Matt turned his head towards me, his features softening as the anger subsided.

"She's having his baby."

I choked on my coffee, the hot liquid burning my mouth as I spluttered. I set my coffee cup down on the table before giving Matt my full attention. I knew about the Scarlet Fever and Matt's infertility, which was why I also knew that this wasn't him just being paranoid. He'd actually been betrayed.

"I've been offered a job in Richmond with the FBI, I was going to take her away, the white picket fence, the whole nine yards and then you know what she told me…" he jerked his head towards me, his eyes hard and bitter. "She's pregnant."

There was silence between the two of us, my lips were pursed closed and I had no idea what I could say. Instead I reached out and took his hand, clasping his large one in my own.

"It's Elena all over again. I was working for our future and she just went and betrayed me, I mean is it me Carmen? Do I make women want to leave me?" he exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

He removed his hand from mine, so he could rub his face with both of them.

"I got so drunk in the airport, I ended up in the bathroom with some woman on her knees in front of me, and I just…I wanted to punish Taylor so badly. I couldn't stop thinking about her and this beautiful blonds' on her knees and unzipping my pants and I physically could not…" he squeezed his eyes shut. "I couldn't get it up, because I couldn't stop thinking about how hard it's going to be for Taylor being a single mom."

The tears were trailing down his cheeks now; he tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand but more followed. He couldn't hide the fact he was broken, the alcohol was making his guard slip. I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him to me gently.

His large hands were clenching my shirt as he buried his face into my shoulder. His chest was heaving in irregular pants. Choked sobs erupted form him as he began to break down, my shirt was growing wet from his tears as I smoothed this thick black hair lightly, pressing my cheek to the top of his head.

"It's not you Matt. I promise it's not you," I murmured, my hand stroking the side of his face lightly.

"Taylor's made a terrible mistake, but the two of you need to talk it out. You two love each other, I know it," I said as he drew his head off my shoulder.

His hazel eyes were on mine, wide and open.

"Do you ever wonder what if?" he said quietly.

His face was inches from mine; I could feel his breath on my skin as his hand reached out and cupped my cheek. His thumb smoothed over my cheek bone as I felt every single muscle in my body tense.

"What if you never met Flack, and we met instead do you ever think about that?" he whispered, his eyes studying mine.

"You don't wonder Matt; I'm not the girl for you and you know that. Taylor is, she hurt you badly and you're trying to make it right by getting even," I reminded him softly.

The expression on his face was troubled as he nodded his agreement, withdrawing his hand from my face as he sniffed.

"I miss her," he mumbled, as I reached out and used a fingertip to delicately remove a stray tear from his cheek.

"I know. I know it's really hard but this might be the opportunity you needed. This could be the family you've always wanted. It doesn't matter that it's not your child by DNA; you can be its father. You'd make a great dad. You don't want to leave Taylor otherwise you would have been on that plane," I pointed out to him with a grim smile.

"It hurts so badly," he admitted freely. "I don't know what to do. I feel like… I know she betrayed me, she committed the worst betrayal possible but I know it wasn't her fault. I wasn't there when she needed me to be. I got so wrapped up in the job and the offer the FBI gave me that she got left behind. So I know this is my fault too, but now she's pregnant…" his eyes raised to me.

"I don't know if I can love that baby," he confessed wearily.

I bit my lip before nodding.

"You don't have to make any decisions tonight." I stated. "But think about it when you're sober. Taylor's been your family for over two years now, and she's let you in. She told you about what she sees, and I know she made a mistake but this could be a chance for you to have that family. The one you've always wanted."

I was on my feet now already reaching for his hold all; Matt frowned watching as I lifted it.

"You can't stay here tonight, it makes Don uneasy because we have history together and right now I could do without the fall out from that," I told Matt, before handing the bag to him. "We've got our own problems at the moment and I don't need anything that's going to agitate them right now. Things are rocky as it is. So my advice is to sober up and go see Taylor. That is the only way that this is going to get sorted."

"You changed you know, you never used to be so selfish," Matt slurred slightly as he wobbled towards the door.

I held the apartment door open, as he lingered in the doorway.

"Sometimes…" I paused, before raising my head to meet his gaze. "Sometimes you've got to do what's best for you."

Matt shook his head.

"Relationships don't work that way, you have to think in a unit, there's two of you to think about. In your case three, don't get yourself into this kinda mess," he warned me, wagging his finger.

I shook my head in response, crossing my arms over my chest as Matt let out a deep sigh, the hold all swinging in his hands as he stood before me. I didn't want to talk about my problems or what may happen.

"Go home Matt, Taylor's waiting for you. This was your fault as much as hers and I think you know that," I reminded him gently.

Matt bit his lip before turning his back on me and shuffling down the corridor towards the elevator. I couldn't help but wonder as I closed the door behind him, how long it would take him to do the right thing.

* * *

Hawkes was annoyed. He rubbed at his eyes checking the clock on the nightstand before sitting up and climbing out of bed.

It was seven thirty five pm.

He'd been a sleep two hours. Two hours in three days. He was infuriated that his sleep had been interrupted. It had taken long enough to drift off to sleep with the thoughts of Sam darting around his head making him feel restless and irritable. He missed her fiercely. The only thing that was stopping him from flying to Arizona was the fear of what Zach might actually do to her.

He padded across the living room clad in navy blue pyjama bottoms and a black t-shirt, flicking the light on as he moved towards the front door.

It was the knocking that had woken him. He wasn't expecting company but he wasn't putting it past Connie to turn up unannounced. Especially with the hell she was going through at the moment.

The moment he opened the door, Hawkes knew he had to be dreaming, or hallucinating at the very least from lack of sleep because Sam couldn't be standing there. His eyes widened and he stood frozen unable to speak or move.

"Erm hi?" Sam greeted, a wheelie suit case parked in the hallway behind her.

She carried a huge rucksack on her back, crammed with so many things he was surprised that the small woman hadn't toppled over backwards from the weight.

Yet his eyes were drawn back to her face, particularly to the split lip she was sporting and the black bruise that encircled her right eye.

"Samantha?" he whispered in disbelief, letting the door swing open.

"Hi Sheldon," she smiled with a small finger wave. "Can I come in?"

Her cheeks were flushed giving her a bashful expression as she stood before him. Sheldon held the door open fully as Sam grabbed the handle of her wheelie suitcase and yanked it into the apartment after her.

Hawkes was already busying himself in the kitchen, pulling out his first aid kit and setting it on the work surface, after flicking on the kettle to make tea. Sam was perched on the arm of the sofa watching as he sorted through the box for antiseptic wipes.

Hawkes was in front of her in seconds of locating them, his fingers gently tilting her chin up into the light so he could get a better look at her injuries. He folded the antiseptic wipe over his fingertip.

"This may sting a little bit," he warned her in his soothing tone.

Sam let out a sigh as he began to dab at her cut lip.

"Did Zach do this?" he asked her, concentrating on the task at hand.

"I left him," she whispered.

Hawkes stopped what he was doing and met her gaze, the pieces falling into place as he started to drown in those beautiful golden eyes.

"I called off the wedding because I couldn't get you out of my head and he got angry…" she tilted her head away from Hawkes, so he couldn't read her expression. "Anyway I ended up here. I was going to go to Adam's but then the eye started coming up with this bruise so I thought I'd camp out at Carmen's before I told Adam I was back in town. Anyway… I just really wanted to see you."

She was rambling just like Adam did when he was nervous. An endearing quality in his eyes.

"And now I can see that you were sleeping, I didn't think about your shifts. I'm sorry… look I'll go." Sam rose to her feet, finding herself suddenly trapped between his body and the couch.

Hawke's grasp was tender on her arms, his hands glided up over the smooth skin as he pressed his forehead to hers lightly.

"I missed you," he murmured.

His fingers were tracing over her cheek with the gentlest of touches. Sam closed her eyes, absorbing all the feelings that he caused to stir within her.

"I missed you too Sheldon. You look tired," she told him quietly.

"I am," he admitted, flooding his senses with her.

She was intoxicating and just having her here in his arms made everything better. She curved into his body like the missing piece of himself. Her slim fingers clasped his hand tightly as she pulled him towards the bedroom.

Sam kicked off her shoes before the two of them climbed under the sheets. Hawkes pulled her to him; her back was resting against his chest, as he buried his face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. He wrapped his arms around her body tightly, clinging to her for dear life. Sam's hand was on his, her thumb caressing his dark skin as the two of them fell into a contented sleep.

* * *

"I don't care what the hell you thought; you know I don't like it when the two of you are alone together, but you still let him into our home even though he was raging drunk. I mean seriously Carmen what the hell is wrong with you?"

We were standing apart in the kitchen; Flack's eyes were vibrant and enraged as he turned to face me from the vegetables he had been peeling. I had just told him about Matt turning up at our door and he was not taking it well.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "He's my friend and he needed help, so I helped him and sent him on his merry way. It is not a big deal."

"Yes Carmen. Yes it is a big deal. You had your ex here, alone, drunk. What am I supposed to think?" Flack asked, pointing the knife at me to emphasise his point.

"You're supposed to trust me because I am your wife and you're supposed to trust him because he's your friend Don, and he's engaged to our friend. You don't see me going off the deep end when you and Taylor are left alone," I returned, staring at him incredulously.

"That's because me and Taylor didn't lie about our relationship. Seriously we've been married over four years now and it took you three of them to mention that anything ever happened between you and Matt and then you only told me because I outright asked you." I responded setting the knife down and wiping his hands on a tea towel.

"It wasn't a huge secret; it was something that happened in a moment of weakness for both of us. You didn't need to know," I responded.

"You're my wife; of course I need to know. How do I know the next time one of you has another moment of weakness that you're not going to end up in bed together? This is about you and me, you should stop shitting on me and my feelings and worry about us for a change, you can't even see that we have problems can you? That something is badly wrong between us," he snarled, storming past me towards the bedroom.

I followed him lingering in the door way as he began to put away the laundry.

"What are you talking about?" I growled, frowning at his behaviour.

"You're driving me away and I don't even think you know your doing it. You just keep pushing and pushing and one of these days I am going to walk. That's what you really want, you want me to leave and I've been trying to retain this marriage all by myself, but there's only so much I can do."

I stared at him speechless, the words going in but no response coming out of my mouth because I knew on some level that he was right.

"We fucked up Carmen, and the worst mistake we made was bringing a child into this, because he's the one that's going to suffer because our marriage broke down," Flack informed me, tearing something out of the closet as he spoke.

"Our marriage isn't broken Don, what are you trying to fix?" I tried to hide the trembling in my voice.

"I think it's pretty clear you don't love me and I am beginning to doubt you ever have. Every time you needed someone I was there, I was always the one holding your hand. When I need you? You're never there and it's always been this way and it's taken me until now to realize it is always going to be this way, because you don't want a marriage." He was standing before me now, arms crossed over his broad chest, his cornflower blue eyes, daring me to deny it.

I clenched my jaw, taking a deep breath as I turned my head away from him.

"You're right I don't…I never wanted to get married. I did it for you because I knew that's what you wanted." I paused, biting my lip before continuing. "You know what I did on my wedding day Flack, I almost ran out on you because I couldn't stand the thought of being trapped. I've stayed here as your wife to keep you happy, but I can't hide it anymore, the resentment I feel… it's eating away at me. I can't… I feel there's more to me than being someone's wife."

Flack had turned his back on me now and was shoving clothes into the black hold all he'd yanked out of the closet.

"You can't even call me Don; you can't even separate me from the people you work with anymore. All I am is Flack to you, not Don, not the father of your child, not the man you married, just Flack. And that Carmen says it all," he said quietly as he zipped up the bag and darted around me before I had a chance to blink.

"Where are you going?" I asked dully as he snatched up his jacket and keys.

Flack paused, holding the door open as he bowed his head.

"I honestly couldn't tell you."

And then he was gone.

* * *

_**To me this has been a long time coming, I always find there's something underlying between Flack and Carmen that they're not saying as I write them and this is a product of that. We also had a completely differnt chapter written for this but as I was about to post I changed my mind and rewrote this one. Thankies to Sparkycsi for being a fab beta!**_

_**Anyway people Hi! Again. I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I've posted. I've been as busy as hell and on the run up to Christmas that is probably going to continue. I got promoted to Supervisor so I'm going to be working more hours but hopefully more regular ones so I get time to write in the evenings. **_

_**We have a lot of surprises cooked up for you in the next few chapters, so I hope you stick with me.**_

_Blue: yea, she's not a bad person just a little bit clumsy. Lol Well everything's up in the air with what happens next so you'll have to wait and see._

_Hope: I was looking for way to show Don and Carm as a couple to show they still care about each other. They are still so hard to write and I keep forgetting that I have to round off the vision arc too. I think we're all going to be surprised by how well Taylor does. Thanks for all your help and the review!_

_BEG: Danny's like that with Cory, it's the reason their relationship thrives! Thanks for helping me with that part of the chapter it was our discussion that fixed that. I love Dick Tracey, I bought the DVD because it was 2 pound the other day lol. We'll have to see what happens with Brad._

_Soccer: lol well I bet you're surprised now, lol I hope I manage to keep you surprised. Thanks for the review._

_Bad: lol maybe your right. Lol Maybe she's not back to normal, there's a lot of underlying issues here that need to be resolved._

_Katy: I took your advice on the Miracle thing I'm thinking of carrying on the story. I don't like Brad either but we'll have to wait and see what happens. _

_Sparky: lol np I am an awful reviewer. I owe loads of people reviews. Sending you some Malibu to tempt Lexi._


	111. Chapter 111: Love Remains The Same

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

_But we, should have had the sun_

_We could have been inside_

_Instead we're over here_

_Half the time the world is ending_

_Truth is I am done pretending_

_Too much time too long defending_

_You and I are done pretending_

_Gavin Rossdale – Love Remains the Same_

Of all he places he could have ended up Flack wasn't sure how he'd managed to drive all the way to his parents house in Queens. He understood the logic; his parent's home was a safe haven, a place of comfort for their children, and it had been all his life. But there was also another factor that drew him here and that was Thomas.

The rain was pattering on the windows as he hunched in the SUV, hands clenching the steering wheel despite the fact he'd turned the engine off over fifteen minutes ago. He knew he'd done the right thing, he reassured himself.

All the pressure had been building up inside him for over a year and a half now and finally he'd had the chance to speak his mind. He wasn't sure what he'd been more afraid of, her leaving or him not being strong enough to leave her.

It had taken a long time for him to figure out his wife wasn't putting in a hundred percent into their marriage. He couldn't believe how he didn't see it, but now he was more than willing to admit that the relationship had been almost completely one sided from the very onset.

He still loved her and deep down he knew he would always love her, but he couldn't be with her. They couldn't co-exist together anymore because the partnership had evaporated. The best thing he could do would be to let her go; he hated the fact he hadn't realized how trapped she felt by the confines of marriage and if he was honest he wasn't sure he'd have cared even if he had.

Taming Carmen had been a challenge, something that he'd had to work for and he knew that was part of the attraction. All the women before her had come easy and even if they hadn't he'd decided they weren't worth his time. She had been different, there had been something so alluring about her despite the fact they had tried to stay friends.

It had been an achievement for him when they'd eventually made it down the aisle. It had taken her a long time to make a decision, and in the end that little thing with Angell had been something to jump started Carmen. He knew it would make her see what she was losing and in the end it helped her to relent.

He would miss her, he concluded. He'd miss everything about her, her silky skin, the way her eyes shone when she laughed, the way her fingers combed through his hair absentmindedly sometimes when they were watching TV. But he knew this was for the best.

He couldn't live with her, knowing that she, they even, were unhappy and he couldn't subject Thomas to the problems in their marriage anymore.

He hadn't told Carmen about the fights their son was getting into at day care, the way he lashed out at other children. There had been numerous calls to his cell phone over the past few months detailing fights that Thomas was having with other children. Flack had realised from the onset that that was a product of them and of the way they acted as a couple and as parents. He was a good father and he knew she was a good mother, but they worked better separately with their son, not together, and that was pretty evident.

Flack took a deep breath before opening the car door and stepping out, pulling the hold all behind him. The weight of the world seemed to rest on his shoulders.

By the time he'd made it to his parent's door he was soaked through, the rain was streaming upon him before he ducked into the porch. He could feel it dripping down his face as he pounded twice on the door. It was late but his father was a night owl, he'd be up, watching the highlights of the game or reading a book.

The light flicked on in the hallway, Flack felt his heart quicken as the oak door opened and he found himself staring into a matching set of bright blue eyes.

Donald Flack Senior was overshadowing the doorway, reading glasses in one hand, holding them by his mouth and an Ernest Hemingway book in the other.

"Donnie?" he said surprised, taking in his son's withdrawn expression.

"I think it's over Dad," Flack replied hoarsely, answering his father's unspoken question.

"Let's talk inside," the older man murmured, holding the door open for the younger Flack as he stepped inside.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly through the open window of bedroom and in Taylor's eyes as she lay flat out on the bed exhausted. It was eight am and she'd gotten a bare minimum of two hours sleep. She'd been up most of the night crying, her eyes were raw from doing so. Her stomach was still sick.

The baby had had her up at six am throwing up anything she'd eaten over the previous day and now she was back in bed, hoping to get some rest before she forced herself to get up. The problem was she was wide awake; her mind would not shut down as it played the events from the previous night over and over again. Her life could not get any worse at the current moment, or so she thought, that was until she heard the rustling coming from the kitchen.

Nelson was lying in Matt's place on the bed next to her, snoring away in the way dogs do.

"Some guard dog you are," she muttered under her breath as she sluggishly rose to her feet.

The last thing she needed right now was to get broken into with the world's laziest dog, sleeping away on the bed.

Taylor reached the door still clad in her flannel pyjamas, her hand straying automatically to the baseball bat leaning against the dresser. She's taken it out of the closet last night just in case…

She cupped the baseball bat in her hand, knowing she could probably get a decent enough swing to knock someone out. With that she opened the bedroom door as quietly as possible and peered through the crack. There was definitely someone moving around in the kitchen, she could see the dark shape of someone collecting some items off the work surface and she was enraged.

Taylor opened the door and crept through the living room as the thief busied himself with something in the cupboard above the sink.

The thief turned around suddenly, startling Taylor so much she swung the bat as part of her reaction. He ducked quickly, leaving her to curse as the bat went through every single piece of kitchen wear she'd left on the draining board to dry last night. The kitchen was showered in shards of ceramics and glass.

Taylor let out a small cry, feeling a sudden bite of pain across her right arm. The vivid red blood splashing across the tiles, as the baseball bat tumbled from her hand. She gasped as she stared at the gaping wound across her forearm, blood flowing freely from it and dripping onto the floor.

"Jesus, put this on it." Matt was beside her, his hand clamping on her wrist as he wrapped a towel around her arm, and pressed his hand to it to stifle some of the bleeding.

Taylor dared to raise her eyes to Matt's, seeing his face etched in concentration as he watched the towel plume with red.

"You don't have to do this," she sniffed closing her eyes as his body brushed against hers.

In truth she was feeling a little dizzy at the moment, so it was probably a good thing that he was here.

"I think you need to go to the hospital and get some stitches. It's a really deep cut…"

Taylor took a step back away from him, clasping her hand to the bleeding wound as the blood seeped through the towel.

"I'll be fine…"

She'd kicked her shoes off by the rug last night after staring at the pregnancy tests she'd set on the coffee table. Unfortunately, she also forgot to move them.

Matt reached out for her as her foot caught on one of them, tripping her up, her body reeled backwards, the back of her head striking the coffee table as she went down.

"Taylor?" he questioned as she lay motionless on the floor.

He was on his knees beside her in an instant, his hand smoothing over her dark hair as he tipped her head towards him. Her eyes were closed and her body limp as he slapped her cheeks lightly with the palm of his hand.

"Taylor? Come on baby speak to me," he pleaded, his chest tightening as her head lolled and came to rest on her shoulder.

She was irresponsive but he was relieved to see that there was no blood coming from her ear or nose, but that didn't mean her injuries weren't serious.

Matt cursed under his breath, his cell phone already in his hand as he dialled EMS.

* * *

Hawkes woke to sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. A slight breeze fluttered the curtains and drifted into the room, the cool, refreshing air tickling his face while the sun's rays bathed his body in warmth.

Their bodies. Because unlike most mornings when he woke up alone and wondering if the time in his life would ever come when he'd be truly happy and have someone that loved him as much as he loved them, his entire future now lay just mere inches from him. On her side facing him, her dark hair fanned out over the stark white of the pillow case beneath her. His eyes briefly settled on, and then bypassed, the slight swelling and noticeable bruising on her left cheek. The slightly blackened right eye and the split lip. The faint blemishes on her slender, pale neck that were obvious signs that Zack had, at one point, had a hand around her throat.

As awful as those injuries were, there was some solace in the fact that she was far away from the person who had caused them. She was in a safe, secure place with someone that would never inflict that kind of physical, or emotional, pain and suffering on her.

It wasn't those bruises that mattered to Hawkes. It was the small, angelic smile that was curving her lips and the warmth of her small hand that rested ever so lightly on his stomach. She was content and comfortable with her surroundings and with him. And that meant more to Hawkes than any words or actions. She was there with him and there was no way in hell he was ever letting her leave again. He vowed to hold on to her as tight as he possibly could. And to never let anyone, or anything, rip her away.

He reached out, and with gentle fingertips traced along the underside of her injured eye and then over the damage done to her cheek. He ran his fingers over the contours of her mouth and than down the smooth bridge of her nose. She was beautiful. With the sunshine that tumbled into the room causing the natural red hues in her hair to sparkle and encasing her in an ethereal light.

The smile on Sam's face broadened. She reached up and caught his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. Placing tender kisses along his fingers and over the top of his hand before entwining her fingers with his and resting their joined hands on the small space between their faces.

She cracked open her eyes and found him watching her intently. She giggled. A musical, childish giggle that made him grin and warmed his heart.

"You're staring at me, Sheldon," she said, closing her eyes once more.

"I'm not allowed to stare at you?"

She shook her head.

"Why?" he asked, reaching out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"It makes me nervous," she replied honestly.

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions so early in the morning," she said, and yawned noisily.

He propped himself on his elbow and stole a glance at the clock radio on the bedside table. "It's not that early," he informed her, lying back down. "It's quarter to ten."

"That's early for someone that likes to stay in their jammies 'til noon," she laughed.

"Well I'm off today so if we want to lie here all day in our pajamas we can. And if I want to lie here all day and stare at you all day I will do that too."

She shook her head.

"Yes, I will," he teased her. "You can sleep and I will lie here and stare at you all I want."

Her eyes flickered open once again. Golden ones met chocolate brown. "You are a cruel, cruel man," she declared.

"You never told me why it makes you nervous when I stare at you," Hawkes said.

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just does."

"That isn't a suitable answer for anyone over seven," he told her.

"It just makes me nervous," Sam yawned. "Because the longer you stare at me, the more time you have to notice everything that is so wrong with me."

"I don't see anything wrong with you," Hawkes told her.

She grinned. "Give it time. This is a relatively new thing."

"What is?"

"Me and you."

"There's a me and you?" he asked.

She frowned. "Isn't there? I mean, I came here to be with you. I told Zack it was over and this is what he did to me all because I had called off the wedding and told him I was in love with someone else. That I needed to be with him. And that was you and I came all the way here and now you're telling me…"

He silenced her by placing two fingertips over her lips. "Apparently you didn't catch the joking tone in my voice when I asked if there was a me and you."

"Apparently not," she said, than smiled sheepishly and giggled once more. "Oooops."

"You looked and sounded so much like your brother there," Hawkes told her. "That whole embarrassed grin and laugh. The way you said ooops."

"Spend a lot of quiet mornings in bed with my brother? Engaging in some fluffy pillow talk?" she asked, her eyes sparkling playfully.

"You know what I meant…"

"Because I am just letting you know right now, Doctor Hawkes, that I don't share very well. I've been that way since I was a kid. My teachers were always writing it in my report cards. Samantha Ross is a very sweet and likable girl who does well with her academics. But she has no social skills and hates to share. That's what they wrote, you know."

"You don't have to share if you don't want to," he told her. "I don't mind."

She smiled brightly. "Very, very good response. Now do I get a kiss good morning or are you one of those people that shun affection when you first get up because you're afraid of my morning breath?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You are something else," he said. "Something tells me I have no clue what I am getting into with you."

"Poor man. And I don't even come with an instruction manual to help you out. Now do I get a good morning kiss of what? Because if not I'll…"

He seized her lips with his. In a lingering, soft and sweet kiss. One that held no urgency or demands. No desperation. Just tenderness and affection and love.

"Mmmm…" she said after the kiss had ended. She ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip and than gave a huge sigh of contentment.

"Good morning," Hawkes said, and wrapping his arm around her slender body, pulled her tightly to him. So their chests were pressed up against each other and his forehead rested against hers.

"It is a very good morning," she agreed, and curled her arm around his waist.

They lay in silence for several minutes. Feeling their hearts beat in unison. Their warm breath fanning each other's faces. Their eyes closed.

"You're here to stay?" he asked quietly. "In New York?"

She nodded.

"You're here to stay with me?"

"I was going to see if I could stay with Carmen or Adam. I didn't think..."

Hawkes shook his head. "Stay here. With me."

She smiled. "Okay…just a couple words of warning, though."

"And what are those?"

"I come with a lot of stuff. And I mean a lot. I need to take up residence in about three quarters of your bathroom and about half of your closet."

"It's a small bathroom and an even smaller closet," Hawkes said. "But I think we'll manage."

"And I am not much of a Molly Maid or a domestic Goddess," she admitted. "I tend to let messes pile up until I have one huge thing to clean. And I don't know how to cook very much outside of Kraft Dinner and hot dogs and minute rice and frozen or microwaveable dinners."

"Like I just said," Hawkes kissed her chastely. "We'll manage."

"I like to take baths. Not showers, baths. With the lights off and candles on and a glass of wine. I like to walk around the house in a man's shirt and maybe some underwear while I sing and dance to Justin Timberlake or whatever music is on the pop channel at the moment."

"That's fine," he said.

"I like to sit on the couch, cross legged, eating a bowl of Lucky Charms while I watch trashy talk shows. I love Maury Povich. I love to scream at the television during those paternity shows. Yell 'You are not the father!' and call people bitches and sluts because they slept with twelve different guys and don't know who their baby daddy is."

He grinned. "That's okay, too," he said.

"And I like to spend long, sweaty mornings and afternoons and nights in bed doing nothing but making love," she finished.

His grin broadened.

"I knew you'd like that part," she laughed, and placed a kiss on his chin.

"That's the best part of the whole package," Hawkes declared and sealed her lips with another long kiss. This time more passionate and deep. Their grips on each other tightening as their tongues met and than mated in a frantic dance. He broke the kiss when the need for air became a necessity. His hand slid down her back and cupped her ass and pulled the lower half of her body tightly against his as his lips found her neck.

Her hand slipped around to his stomach and began tucking up his t-shirt. "Sheldon?" she asked, her hand under his shirt now, her fingertips grazing along his bare stomach.

"Hmm?" he responded, as his teeth nipped gently at her pale skin.

"How about we get started on that whole sweaty morning of making love thing?" she suggested.

He pulled back and looked at her. There was nothing but love and respect and adoration in his eyes. Mirroring the thoughts and feelings that shone so brightly in her own.

"I think that's a damn good idea," he said. "And a hell of a way to spend a day off."

She smiled. "Better get started than, Doctor."

* * *

Danny smiled as he lit the white taper candles in the centre of the dining room table. He checked his watch, noticing that it was a couple of minutes past when Cory had said when she would be home and decided to call her, to make sure that she hadn't been held up at work. _It'd be just my luck for my Chicken __Parmigiana__ to be ruined by a stupid criminal,_ he thought as he hit his speed dial.

"_Reid."_

"Hey, _bella._ I wanted to make sure that the criminals let you go home tonight," he probed since she didn't know that he was at her place. Yes, they had been practically living together since they reconciled, but he had told her that he had to go back to his place that night.

Cory smiled. _"They did, but the subway is behind right now, so I'll be home in a bit. You want me to come over?"_

Danny's eyes opened wide. "Nope. My place is a mess," he replied quickly, his need to surprise her for once making him talk quickly.

Cory raised her eyebrows as she glanced at the people surrounding her on the train. _"You sure? I've seen worse, you know,"_ she said. _"Unless of course, you have some woman over there that you don't want me to see,"_ she teased with a giggle.

Danny fingered the ring box in his pocket. "Nope. She already left for the day," he responded jokingly.

Cory laughed. _"Good, cause then I don't have to kill her and have Carmen and Stella help me hide the body. I should be home in like ten minutes. You want me to call you back? I'm about to lose my signal."_

Danny smiled. "Yeah, that'll be good. I love you," he said.

"_I love you, too. Talk to you in a bit."_

Danny smiled as the call disconnected, happy with the thought that his plan was going so well.

True to her word, Cory walked off her elevator ten minutes later, sniffing the air in appreciation. _God, that smells sinful. I am so going to have to make lasagne now,_ she thought as she unlocked her door. Her jaw dropped as she walked into the candlelit apartment with the sounds of Mozart playing softly from her speakers. When she turned, she saw Danny standing there, dressed in a pair of nice slacks, button down white shirt and a black jacket with a bottle of wine in his hands. "Um, did I miss our anniversary?" she asked tentatively, racking her brain for some meaning to the candles, wine and dressed up Danny.

Danny smiled softly. "Naw, I just wanted to surprise you with a nice meal."

Cory looked down at her rumpled suit and nodded. "In that case, let me change into something a little more uncomfortable. Give me ten minutes," she said as she walked past him towards the living room.

As she walked into the bedroom, she was stripping off her work clothes, thankful that she had been in the office all day. She went to her closet and perused the little worn dresses hanging there, before deciding on a simple black dress with spaghetti straps. She smiled as she opened up the dresser in the clothes, that Danny thought was just for odds and ends that she rarely wore, not knowing that it was her secret stash of lacy undergarments. She settled on a lace bra and thong set, that left little to the imagination, and a pair of black silk stockings and garter belt. She dressed quickly and once she had slipped her feet into a pair of four inch stiletto sandals, she shook out her hair, which was wavy from being confined to a bun. She didn't do much makeup wise, other than reapply her lipstick and then walked back into the living room.

She found Danny sitting on the couch, two glasses of red wine on the coffee table in front of him. He stood as she walked in, his eyes darkening in desire at the sight of her. The dress moulded to her body like a second skin. "Wow, what would you look like if I had given you an hour?" he asked as he pulled her in for a kiss.

Cory just returned the kiss as they sank back onto the couch. "So to what to owe this occasion to?" she asked as she leaned forward to pick up the wineglass.

"Do I need an occasion to pamper my girlfriend?" Danny returned.

Cory looked into his eyes, sensing that there was more to this than meets the eye, but acquiesced. "No, but it is a nice change. I needed this after the stress that this case is putting on me."

"Then that is the occasion," Danny said as he pulled her up from the couch. "Come on. My Chicken Parm is going to get cold if we sit here any longer." He led her into the dining room and being the perfect gentleman, held her chair out for her before setting their plates on the table. He sat down and then held up his glass. "To us. Through fights and the stress of dealing with our jobs, we've made it."

Cory felt herself tearing up at the emotion in his voice and with a shaking voice responded, "To us."

They had made through the dinner, giddy like teenagers on their first date, when Danny decided to serve dessert. He walked to the fridge and grabbed the tiramisu. He had just set down the plates, when Cory's buzzer rang.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she quickly walked to the panel. "Yes?"

"_Cory, it's Reggie. Can I come up?"_ Papa Messer asked.

Cory felt a chill run up her spine as she got a bad feeling. She quickly buzzed him into the building and turned to Danny, who was looking surprised. "I have a bad feeling about this, _chère__,_" she said quietly.

Danny swallowed a lump of disappointment and rage, knowing that whatever had brought his dad to her door wasn't going to be pleasant. _Damn, that man knows how to ruin any plans I make!_ He walked to her and pulled her into his arms. "It'll be all right," he murmured into her hair.

A few moments later, there was a soft knock on her door, which they answered immediately. Cory gasped at the sight of Papa Messer. Both eyes were blackened and already swelling and there was a cut on his right cheek. He was holding his left hand to his chest, obviously in pain. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, her romantic evening forgotten. "What happened?"

Danny moved aside as his father walked into the semi dark apartment, pain lines showing on his face. Papa Messer looked around, taking in their appearance and the romantic nature of the room. "I've come at a bad time," he said quietly. "I'll just go."

Cory raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, Reggie," she said before grabbing his right arm and leading him to a chair in the living room. "Sit," she ordered.

Danny was already moving towards the bathroom and her first aid kit, so she went to the kitchen, turning on the lights as she went. She grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer, a glass of water and some aspirin and then walked back into the room, where Danny was cleaning the cut on his father's face.

"Here, put this over your eyes," Cory said as she handed over the ice pack after he had swallowed the pain medicine. "Who did this to you?" she said, her voice all business.

"I don't know," he responded.

Cory just rolled her eyes at Danny, who had moved on to looking at his hands. "Jesus Pop. You've got two broken fingers. You really need to go see the doctor," he breathed.

Papa Messer shook his head. "No, just tape them up. I take it you remember how to do that, Danny?"

Danny just exhaled, remembering how many times that he had taped up his dad and Louie and just how many times they had done him the same favour. "Yeah, but I don't like this."

"I'll be fine, son."

"So, who did this to you? I'm not taking 'I don't know' as an answer. This was not some random mugging and you know that Reggie," Cory interrogated.

Papa Messer moved the ice pack so he could see her and saw the look of determination in her eyes. "I really don't know who they were. But I think they were part of the Family. The words rat and stool pigeon were mentioned a few times. But Lucie wouldn't do this too me, so I don't think this was her."

Cory snorted. "Yeah, the head of the Corleone family wouldn't have you beat up because you've become a police informant. Please," she drolled with an exasperated look on her face. "But, I happened to agree with you since she is in solitary confinement at the moment and has had no contact with the outside world—aside from me—in a week. So who else has a beef with you?"

Papa Messer just looked at her in incredulity. "Okay, stupid question," she conceded before signing. "Right now, you are our main source for the criminal activity of a large number of criminals." She sighed. "I hate having to do this, but this violence against you is just going to escalate until one of two things happen. One, we put all of the criminals behind bars or two, you die."

Danny looked stricken at the second option, but Cory just ran her fingers through his hair. "Now, I don't like either option," she continued, not letting Danny speak. "I have a third one. Witness protection."

Papa Messer immediately began to protest that, but Cory just held up her hand. "Look, it's the only option. I want you alive for my case, but more importantly because you're Danny's dad. I don't want to put him through that. You told me that you would do whatever it took to take down the Corleone family. So you're doing this. No protests."

Danny looked from her to his dad before laughing. "Pop, trust me when I say this. You might as well give in now, because when Cory's like this, she always gets her way." It was Danny's turn to motion Cory to silence, which he did with a look. "Look, I get that you don't want to leave your life, but really if it's a choice between life and death, I'd take this option. Please."

Papa Messer sighed in resignment. "Fine, but I want to be on record that I don't like running away. What do I have to do?"

Cory smirked as she began to talk over with them what exactly witness protection involved.

* * *

_**Howdy peeps, special thanks to BEG 75 and my wonderful Beta Sparkycsi for writing Cory and Sam's parts in this! I applaud them and thank them for guest writing for me. Kisses going out to you girls!**_

_Bad: lol do you want to know the real answer to that? Lol as you can see from this chapter Sam is a lot more than back with Hawkes!_

_BEG: Thankies so much for helping with the chapter, I couldn't have done it without you. I like writing matt and Carm's relationship because sometimes it seems so simple but at others it's so complicated. Lol You know what happens! Well I'm saying that but my crazy muse may change her mind at some point! Lol she had to stick up for herself it's who she is. Lol I can't wait to see what happens next myself._

_Blue: I love matt because he's such a great guy, I want a man like him. You have gotten it totally wrong here, It's Carmen's fault and trust me she's not gonna be telling him anything Don is, Thomas becomes his responsibility. He's the better one in all of this. _

_Lap: I say settle down lol but really their going to pick up. It's a fab store and a fab team. I'm lucky to be there. Lol we'll see what you think of things in later chapters, I think you'll be surprised._

_Maddy: Good to see you again, I thought you'd left the boards! RL is a bitch, I know but its nice to hear from you. I'll always read your stuff, and thank you for your wonderful review._

_Soccer: lol I'm glad your surmised, I hope you stick with it and keep loving it. _

_Forest: Hi! Thankies, fingers crossed it goes well. I'm glad you liked this chapter. They are struggling at the mo, it's their jobs an marriage and all the other stress coming out to play. The probs have been there for a while now to be honest. I'm glad Sam's back too!_

_Sparky: lol thankies so much for your hard work with Danny and Cory it turned out great. It was easier to write than them as a couple would you believe. I think I know they have probs and that's what's brought this on. My muse has been completely on fire as of late._

_Hope: You helped a lot thankies! Your support is wonderful and I'm glad you loved the chapter. It's really hard for me to try and write something like this and I try to make it as realistic as poss. So it's nice to know it paid off!_


	112. Chapter 112: Victims of The Heart

Chapter One Hundred and Twelve

_And I've been playing games  
And now I've change my ways  
The character I always played  
Helped me to forget my name  
But now I know,  
_

_Missy Higgins - Casualty_

The room was cold, just like the rest of the apartment was and I was lying in bed, arm over my head staring at the ceiling like I had been for the last six hours. I glanced at the alarm clock; the red digits told me it was 4.04am. He should have been back by now. At least he would of if he hadn't meant it. He'd never left for this long before without at least letting me know where he was.

Was it true? Was this over?

Four years worth of marriage was coming to a head and I knew deep in my heart we weren't happy. We had tried to be, but it was pretend. We hadn't been happy in a very long time.

I hated being married, everyone made it out to be sunshine and roses; they left out the part where you feel trapped and claustrophobic. You're supposed to know that there's two, well in my case three of us to think about. You have to make decisions based on the fact you're all a unit as opposed to for yourself and that strain, well it had been eating at me for a while now.

Don had been right about us, yet I knew it hadn't just been me who had failed. We as a couple had been unsuccessful at communicating and this was the cost.

My eyes strayed to the empty spot next to me as I ran my hand over the cool sheets. As much as I wanted him back I knew that having my own space felt overwhelming and strange, I also knew that it felt good.

I wondered what would happen now, would we move out into separate places? Who would get custody of Thomas? Would we divorce? All these questions were rushing through my mind as I lay there pondering.

I think it was time to admit that I was fucked up. A lot of this was my fault for letting it get this far in the first place; I should have just confessed. I hated this level of commitment, because it was too much.

It was time to admit that I had single handily ruined marriage number two before it had even began.

* * *

It was a beautiful and relaxing early summer afternoon. The sun was high and bright in the electric blue sky. Large, stark white clouds rolled lazily by. A gentle yet refreshing breeze tousled the treetops and gave some relief to the temperatures that had soared into the high eighties. All of the windows were thrown wide open, omitting the gracious, brilliant rays of sun to fill the apartment. The stereo in the living room was tuned in to the local pop music station. Definitely not Hawkes' cup of tea, but he hadn't said a word when Sam had crinkled her nose while thumbing through his CD collection and than sighed heavily when she flicked on the radio and it was playing classical. And he hadn't argued when she found the channel playing the current hits, announced "This is my favorite song!", cranked the volume and began dancing and jumping around and singing aloud to what she would later tell him was So What, by Pink.

And he most certainly didn't put up a fight when the music turned to something much slower and more romantic and she approached him with a soft smile and took his hand and pulled him out into the middle of the living room. And there, she had wrapped her arms around him and he held onto her tightly as they danced to Far Away by Nickelback. His whole world, his whole existence, felt lighter just because she was there with him. Because he could smell the sweet scent of her hair and feel her silky skin under his fingertips and hear her heart beating deep in her chest.

Now she sat on his balcony, searching the classified section of the newspaper. Searching for employment while sipping a glass of white wine. Hawkes prepared them a simple lunch of pasta salad and egg omelet's and listened to her singing softly to herself. He had had to correct himself several times when he began making something for just one person and when he'd taken down a solo plate and cup and took out one fork and one knife. It was a force of habit. He'd been alone so long that his brain just wasn't comprehending that he wasn't a single guy anymore. He had someone to love. Someone, that through just simple gestures and the sparkle in her eyes and the way she smiled at him, told him that she loved him just as much in return.

He prepared their meals and carried them out onto the balcony. Pausing briefly in the doorway as he watched her, a pen poised by her mouth, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her long dark hair was pulled back and wrapped into a sloppy bun and held together by black plastic wands that reminded him of chopsticks. Loose tendrils caressed the sides of her face and fluttered softly from the breeze. She was dressed in a faded grey denim skirt that just skimmed her knees and a body hugging soft pink t-shirt bearing a large picture of Strawberry Shortcake on the front. Vibrant pink flop flips on her feet. One dangling off the ends of her toes as she sat with one leg over the other. He spied the tattoo of a ladybug on the top of her right foot. And the sparkling silver polish on her toes.

She sensed him standing in the doorway watching her and she looked up. A bright smile curved her lips and her eyes shone.

"Hi, baby," she greeted in a soft, demure tone that melted his heart.

He returned the smile and journeyed out onto the balcony. He placed the plates on the small table between the chairs and then dropped a kiss on the top of her head before running a soft hand over the side of her face and sitting down.

"Mmm…" she said, setting the paper and pen aside and rubbing her hands together in anticipation and than picking up her fork. "It looks delicious. You cook, too? Doctor Hawkes, you are a man of many talents."

"It's not a five course meal," he said. "But it should do the trick."

"Well eat up," she told him, popping some omelet into her mouth. "You're going to need all the energy you can get."

He shook his head and chuckled.

She gasped dramatically. "Get your mind out of the gutter! That was not what I was referring to. Well, maybe a little. What I meant was that you said you'd take me to the Statue of Liberty."

"I still can't believe you've never been there. You lived here for sixteen years."

"It was never my thing," she said with a shrug. "But I am older and more mature now. One wouldn't guess it by my choice of wardrobe or my behavior sometimes, but I am. And now I have someone to share stuff like that with. And that always makes things more enjoyable."

"It's going to be different," he admitted as he dug into his meal.

"Having someone to share things with?" Sam asked.

Hawkes nodded.

"And look who you get to do it with!" she exclaimed with a giggle. "Someone like me! Boy, I but you never imagined in a million years you'd be with someone that wore clothing with cartoon characters on them and had tattoos and a belly button ring."

"Honestly? No. But the minute I met you, I knew you were unlike any other woman that I had ever crossed paths with. And that appealed to me. There's so many different sides to you, Samantha. One minute you're vivacious and snappy and all little girl. The next you're passionate and intense and all woman."

"I keep things lively," she said. "You will never be bored or lonely with me, Sheldon. That I promise you."

"I love you," he told her. Sincerity and tenderness in his eyes and voice.

She smiled and sat her utensils on her plate and lifted herself from her chair and leaned across the table. She placed a hand on the side of his face and kissed him. Soft and undemanding. Unhurried. "I love you, too," she said, and pressed a kiss to his forehead before sitting back down and returning to her meal.

"Did you see anything?" he asked, nodding at the folded newspaper.

"There's no much," she replied with a sigh. "And I don't have a resume."

"I do have a computer with a printer," Hawkes reminded her. "This is your home now, too."

She was touched by those simple words. With Zack it had been all his. There was nothing that she was allowed to call her own. Whether she had purchased it or not. He was a selfish, controlling, manipulative bastard and she had been a fool for ever thinking otherwise. It had never been, and would never have been, about love. Love wasn't painful or frightening. Loving someone didn't give them permission to hurt you. Love was what she had right in front of her. And she was never going to give that up.

"There's still not much," she said. "I mean, for the time being I can get a job at Barnes and Noble or work retail at Macy's or something like that. I have some retail experience from my teenage years. And I can waitress too. I was once a waitress at Denny's."

"You were?"

She nodded and sipped her wine. "Just like you, I have many talents as well. And you know, with a body like this, I could always be a stripper."

Hawkes coughed on a mouthful of wine.

"You don't think so? You don't think my body could bring in the big bucks? My moves that you seem to love so much?" she teased.

"It's not your body or your moves that are the problem," he said. "Trust me."

"So what is it? You don't like the idea of other men checking me out?"

He nodded. "I don't like the idea of other men ogling or touching my girl."

"Your girl?" she asked, kicking off her sandals and settling her foot in his lap. "Sheldon Hawkes…there is something so knight in shining armor and corny sweet about hearing you say that."

"It's true," he said, rubbing her shin softly. "That's what you are."

"I like being your girl," Sam told him. "Do you like being my guy?"

"I do," he said.

"Give it time. You'll change your mind."

Hawkes shook his head. "Never going to happen. I finally got you. I'm not letting you go anywhere."

"Good," she chirped. "Because I am not letting you go anywhere either."

They smiled at one another. She crinkled her nose and winked at him.

"You never told me about Zack," Hawkes said, approaching the subject carefully.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to. You know the basics. I told him it was over. That I was in love with someone else and needed to be with them. There's not much more to it, Sheldon."

"What did you say to him?"

"Exactly what I just told you," Sam said. "Do you want a play by play?"

"I want to know what made you back your bags and come all the way to New York with bruises on your face and a split lip and marks from Zack's hand around your throat."

"I came to New York because I love you and I can't be without you," she told him defensively. "Because I never should have left after you and I made love that night. I should have stayed here like you asked me too."

"But what did you say to him that made him do this to you?"

"Zack didn't, and never did, have reasons to beat me. He just did it. He did it because he had to have control. He did it to keep me terrified and under his thumb. He did it because he thought it was fun to see me cower on the floor, bleeding and begging him to stop."

"Samantha…"

"He did it because he thinks all women are dogs that need to be chained up and kicked around. And if he ever got that chance, trust me, that's how I would have ended up! Because Zack only loves himself. He never loved me. He thought, in his twisted mind he did, but that's not love. You don't do that to people you love."

"No. You don't."

"I told him that I couldn't marry him. I told him that I was in love with someone I'd met here and that I wasn't doing him any good by lying to him and pretending I was happy when I wasn't. I couldn't in good faith be his wife when I loved another man. Someone I actually wanted to marry and have children with. That's what I told him. I broke it to him as gently as I could. And this is what he did to me."

"Samantha…"

"Look at me!" she cried and dropped her fork on her plate with a clatter and stood up. "Look at my face, Sheldon! Look at my neck! And look at this!" she lifted her shirt to reveal bruises along her ribs and abdomen. "And look at this!" she hiked up her skirt to show him more injuries to her thighs. "Look what he did to me! I didn't deserve this!"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You didn't."

"He did this because of you! Because I love you and was honest about it! And it's my fault!"

"No, Samantha," he got to his feet and laid his hands on her shoulders. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is," she valiantly held back tears. "If I had have just stayed like you asked me too…"

"We can't change that now," Hawkes told her, his voice and eyes, calm and soothing. "That's water under the bridge. We can't go back and change that. What's important now is that you're here. You're here where you belong. And we're together. That's what matters. I don't want to hear you blame yourself ever again. Okay?"

She nodded and laid her hands over his. "I need something from you, Sheldon," she said, her voice near a whisper, her eyes locked on his.

"Anything," he said.

"I love you. So much. More than I ever thought I could love another human being. Tell me you love me."

"You know I do."

"I need to hear you say it. I need to see it in your eyes."

"I love you," he told her. "Only you."

"Marry me." It wasn't a question. It was demand.

"Samantha…"

"Just me and you and two random people off the street as witnesses," she said.

"That's a huge step, Samantha. It's not something to take lightly."

"I know. But it's what I want. I want to marry you. I want to be your wife and have kids with you and live happily ever after. Not because I'm pissed off at Zack and it's like telling him to kiss my ass. But because goddamnit, Sheldon Hawkes, I love you and I want forever with you. Please tell me you want forever with me, too."

He answered her with a long, soft kiss that left her head spinning. Than he pulled away from her and grabbed her hand. "Let's go," he said, and all but dragged her towards the balcony door.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Grab your purse and all your ID," he told her. "We're going to buy some rings. And a marriage license."

* * *

Gus was not impressed. In fact she hadn't been impressed since Adam had promptly stormed out of her living room slamming the door to her apartment behind him so hard the frame rattled. The behavior was very out of character for Adam Ross but she supposed she would have responded the same way if it had been the other way around especially with all the stress that he was under at the moment.

Gus's eyes fell on the offending object before she turned her head away in disgust, her hand already hitting redial as she called Adam's cell for ninth time since he'd left the apartment. It rang twice before going straight to voice mail.

A graceful bouquet of peach colored roses, complete with a white card she'd crumpled up immediately after reading.

Adam was having a lot of problems at the moment; his sister's fiancé was phoning him none stop demanding to now where she was since she'd walked out on him. Adam wasn't even aware Samantha had left Zach, and his parents were currently unreachable, leaving him to fret about what was really happening back home in Arizona.

So when he answered the door this morning he was not in the best of moods, add to that that his girlfriend seemed to be receiving flowers from another man and Adam's modest insecurities. Gus didn't blame him for leaving.

"You looked beautiful yesterday; I hope we can have part two of our date sometime. Love me." She read out loud before crumpling the tiny rectangle in to a ball.

Someone was playing with her and she already knew who.

_**Howdy guys! Thank you to Sparkycsi for being a wonderful beta and BEG for writing all the Hawkes and Sam I need!**_

_**Thank you,**__** for reviewing you wonderful people.**_

_Sparky: You can write Danny and Cory for me any day. I think Flacks the more grown up of the two, and he's been ignoring the probs as much as she has over he past few years. Lol there's some good points tho. Lol I think a lot of people love them._

_Soccer: lol are you sure? Seriously thank you for being a fab supporter. I'm glad you liked this chapter, thanks for the review._

_Blue: Just thought I'd explain. Just because you've got an OC doesn't mean their in the right, and Carmen certainly isn't. You're just going to have to wait and see. You'll have to wait and see what happens with PM, he's got his own little thing going on._

_BEG: I always imagine Flack to be quiet frank with himself. He's tried really really hard. I think a lot of people tend to overlook problems in a relationship. But I believe there's always a point where someone has to say enough. Thomas has been through enough I think. OMG it was just something I could see Tay doing lol, it wrote itself. Lol I love Matt! Lol I feel so sorry for Danny, he tries so hard but then gets interrupted. _

_Daisy: this story is basically made of twist and turns you'll have to see what happens. Lol it's not easy developing them, it's really hard but I try and I have a lot of help. You'll have to wait and see what happens, but it is surprising. _

_Hope: I always imagine that people do that, if it was me I'd e going home. It's too raw to talk to other people about yet (I mean their friends.) You don't have to wait for Tay too long. It's resolved in the next chapter. Lol I love them too, I can't wait until 114, where Hawkes makes a little revelation. _

_Bad: lol things like this happen all the time to couples, if you think about it Flack's more into the relationship than she is. Lol From my POV I just couldn't write them as a couple anymore because I always had the sense, there was something under the surface. Lol Thom is only fighting because of his parents, Carm gets first hand sight of this later on._

_Maddy: lol we have loads! Thankies! It's nice to see you again. Hope your ok!_


	113. Chapter 113: Choices

Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen

_And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,  
there will be an answer, let it be.  
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,  
there will be an answer. let it be._

_The Beatles – Let It Be_

Matt was beyond worried, he'd been pacing the corridor outside examination room for the past forty five minutes. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He'd used his key to get into the apartment after the spending the night walking the streets, just thinking about their current predicament and trying to sort through the tangled web of feelings he harboured deep in his heart.

Carmen's words had hit home for him, and he realized that what had happened between Taylor and Danny Taylor hadn't just been her fault; it had been his own as well. Yet he still knew if he ever bumped into Danny Taylor in the street he would probably kill the guy with his bare hands.

Taylor was in an awful position he had decided. She was freelance with no steady income, she was pregnant and she could end up a single mom. Despite all that Matt was proud of her though, she'd been prepared to defend herself and the baby against an intruder. She had been so brave.

He knew this hadn't happened on purpose, that her affair or rather her mistake had been a one time thing. She was nothing like Elena, who had actually spent months deceiving him, before he discovered the truth. It was hard to let go of the past sometimes and he'd forgotten who Taylor was for a minute because he'd been so blinded by rage for her indiscretion. It had taken him back to that morning years ago when he'd walked in on Elena in the throes of passion with another man, and that sickened him.

Elena had always made him feel inadequate over his inability to have children. It was something he would give the world to change if he could. He'd always wanted a family but adoption was the only option he had open to him and with Elena adoption had never been an option. She thought that she'd be able to walk all over him, get pregnant by someone else and then he'd be grateful enough to accept it as his own. It could have worked if she hadn't come onto the majority of guys on his SWAT team, he recounted.

Taylor was the exact opposite; Taylor loved him for who he was. She didn't care about the fact he couldn't conceive. She'd been understanding and compassionate when he'd confessed his secret to her. The relationship was about him and her, not the about having a baby or starting a family. Taylor's reaction had been empowering, it had given him the strength to feel worth something, more than SWAT ever had. In his eyes she was selfless, she'd given up the dream that most women struggled for to be with him.

He knew he wasn't easy to live with, he knew sometimes he was a complete pain in the ass, a neat freak, he liked things organised and in certain places which was why they had two separate wardrobes. So he didn't blame her for doing what she did. He worked too much he knew she'd felt he was more committed to the job than to her.

And in the end that had been his downfall.

* * *

It was the steady rhythmic bleeping that woke Taylor from her slumber. And then it was the pounding headache. With a grown, she tried to roll over, curl up into a ball and pull the covers over head. Only several leads and wires seemed to be preventing her from moving.

"Don't," a voice came softly, grabbing her hand.

Taylor's eyes were drawn to the hand holding hers, following it up the arm to its owners. Matt's brown eyes were staring back at her. "Where am I?" she croaked.

"You don't remember?"

Taylor shook her head and then winced at the pain.

"I startled you. You fell backwards and hit your head."

Taylor pulled her hand free to touch the back of her head, which was throbbing slightly. As she did so, the stark white bandage wrapped around her wrist caught her attention, followed by the drip in the back of her hand. Her left hand made for the needle, but stopped mid air as Taylor frowned. "Where's my ring? My engagement ring," she added at Matt's lack of answer.

"You took it off."

Taylor's frown deepened into a scowl as she dropped her hands to study Matt. "Why?"

There were worry lines etched into his face, and it looked like he hadn't slept all night. There was a slight smell of stale booze wafting over, and his five o'clock shadow was looking a little better than well defined. His clothes were rumpled and there was this look in his eyes. Concern, hesitation, hurt, anger... she couldn't place it, and yet, it seemed like all four... and more.

As they stared at each other, neither speaking, Taylor was drawn to something else. A second rhythmic beating. She slowly pulled her gaze away from Matt's, to the machines on the other side of her bed. At the sight of the two lines of steady heartbeats, one sped up as the events of the past week came flooding back. "Is it... okay?"

Matt glanced over at the machine and nodded. "The human body is a resilient thing, and the female one is designed to protect. The doctor wants to keep you in for a couple of days just for a precautionary measure."

Taylor sighed and flicked her eyes to the other side of the bed. Meeting Matt's gaze, she turned her attention straight in front of her. "Oh," she muttered.

"You sound," Matt frowned. "Disappointed?"

Taylor shrugged.

"Taylor," Matt started slowly, "did you want that baby to die?"

Taylor continued staring at the wall before again shrugging.

"Taylor!" Matt exclaimed in horror.

"What?" Taylor demanded, turning to face him. "I'm only going to end up killing it anyway."

Matt's jaw hit the floor. "But... what?" he spluttered. "You don't believe in abortion. You're Catholic."

"First of all, I'm probably the most washed out Catholic in the whole of the state – I can't even remember the last time I went to church, never mind confessional, or any of that jazz. And second of all, I'm not talking about an abortion, though damn it, that is one of my options _should_ I choose to take it, so don't even start preaching about taking a life."

"Taylor, _you're_ the one who brought up the whole 'killing' thing."

"I'm talking about being a lousy mother, Matt," Taylor snapped. "Case in point," she told him, pointing at the back of her head, which, although he couldn't see it, was throbbing wildly. "I am the last person anyone with any sense would trust with their offspring, and I'm not that delusional to realise my child is either going to end up dead, or in care hating me," she informed him, her voice breaking. "I spend that much time running around after dead things that I forget to eat, never mind the fact that I'm throwing up all the time. I go days without sleeping; Red Bull is my best friend. And then there's the fact that I don't have a job – I have no real financial security at the moment, and I don't know when that's going to be resolved, because hey, _I _wouldn't hire a pregnant woman who's only going to go on maternity leave in a few months. And if I could find something, it's probably going to be on minimum wage, which means I'm going to have to leave the apartment because I wouldn't be able to afford the rent and bills, which would then put me out on the streets. If I'm lucky I could get a room in one of the housing projects, but then my child isn't going have the life it deserves – that I should be able to provide for it..." her voice broke into a sob.

"Taylor," Matt said gently, reaching for her hand.

Taylor jerked it away. "I can't cook, and I know enough to know that a baby can't survive on _EasyMac_ alone. Not that I'd be able to _afford_ _EasyMac_. I don't want to be a mother. Never mind a single mother. And I know that thousands of women do it alone every day, but I'm not them... I'm not... I can't..."

"Tay, you don't have to do it alone," Matt told her.

Taylor looked over at him through tear filled eyes and scoffed. "If you think I'm turning up on Danny's door and saying, 'sorry I've been ignoring you for weeks, but the fact is I'm pregnant and you're the daddy', then you're very much mistaken. And I can't move back home, because the second my mother finds out that I'm the carrying the child of a man who I..."

"And what about me?"

"What about you?" Taylor muttered, refusing to look at him.

"Maybe I want to be there for you," he reached over and grabbed her hand, refusing to let it go. "Maybe I want to be there for the baby."

Taylor stared at him. "Why?" she asked him, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Matt exhaled deeply. "Because the fact is, I still love you."

Taylor's eyes widened. "You do?"

Matt nodded. "Yes."

"But what about...?" she swallowed away a rather large lump that was forming in her throat. "What about... what I did?"

Matt took a breath. "I love you Taylor. That doesn't go away. But the trust? That's been broken, and that's not going to be easy to fix. But I'm willing to try, so long as you are too."

Taylor nodded. "Anything it takes. Anything, Matt. I'll never give you any reason to doubt me again."

"Maybe we should see a counsellor."

"A shrink?" Taylor repeated.

Matt nodded, knowing Taylor's opinion of them.

"Okay," she agreed. "Hell, I'll see as many as you want."

"I think one will be enough," he told her.

"And what about," she pointed at the heart monitor. "It?"

"I've always wanted kids, Tay. And the only way we were ever going to have any was adoption, or a sperm donor. And this is _not_ how I would have gone about it, but at least the child is going to have your genes, and what it doesn't get from me, I'm going to make up for in love."

Taylor could feel the tears streaking down her cheeks again. "I'm sorry, Matt. I really am."

"And I don't want you seeing Danny Taylor," he added.

Taylor nodded. "I won't." She sighed. "How am I going to explain this to my mother?"

"She doesn't need to know. As far as I'm concerned, that's our child. Nobody needs to know any different, other that you, me and Carmen."

Taylor frowned, but rather than ask how it was Carmen knew, she added, "Gus knows."

"Let's keep it at that. Now stop crying, because it's not good for you, and it can't be good for the baby," he told her, hoping he'd made the right choice.

* * *

Something was wrong; I could feel it the moment I stepped into the apartment after my shift. It had been two days since Flack had left; I'd picked Thomas up from his grandparent's house last night while Don was at work. I'd deposited him back at day care this morning, knowing that Flack Senior was going to pick him up so Flack could see him when he get off shift. I didn't even know what his schedule was today, Flack Senior had told me all this at the door while Kathryn retrieved my son.

I paused in the doorway, flicking on the light as my eyes darted around the room, taking in each and every object. My hand strayed from my gun to my forehead, covering my eyes as I slumped against the apartment door finally realizing what the problem was.

Don's stuff was missing.

Everything from his DVD collection in the entertainment unit, to the books on the book shelf. I glanced at the draining board and sighed. He'd even taken his NYPD mug.

I already knew what I'd find in the bedroom, an empty wardrobe and two clothes less drawers that used to contain socks and boxers. I tilted my head back, banging it on the wood lightly.

I was mad, and I was hurt by the fact he'd chosen to sneak in while he knew I at work and take his things. This feeling… it was horrible. All the guilt and now the shame of the situation was bubbling up inside me. I hadn't expected the shame, it was piercing and made me want to curl up and hide away from the situation, yet the anger was giving me steadily giving me courage and the angrier I got the more I was going to do something about it.

He had left me and he hadn't said a damn word. How could you do that to someone you'd spent four years married too, who was the mother of your only child?

I ran my hands through my hair frustrated, back still to the door.

People were going to think I was an awful person. Flack was a good man; everyone knew that, everyone could see how he always tried to so hard. He was always making the effort. So what would they think of me?

They were going to blame me for this but I had to admit I blamed myself, which was why I hadn't called a single person when he'd disappeared. I didn't want to admit he was leaving because of me.

I let out a deep sigh as I trod towards the kitchen table to make sure there was no note. The table was devoid of anything, so I moved towards Thomas's room noting several of his favourite toys and clothes missing.

I couldn't help but wonder Flack's plan for Thomas; would he sue me for custody? I found that the likely option and I realized if he did it was probably for the best.

There was something wrong with me, it had been underlying for a while now, lying dormant beneath my skin. I'd lost my identity though becoming a wife and a mother because was the only view I thought people perceived of me.

I needed to re-establish myself again, find out who I was, I needed breathing space and with Don gone I could do something I'd been thinking alot about recently.

Being a cop had always been part of who I was, from the first step I'd taken on the beat to use chemicals in the lab, but the truth was I didn't want to be a cop anymore.

My life had been tainted by it, damaged even. Handing my badge to Gerrard after Angell's death had been a relief but it left a hole, one that I couldn't fill at the time because I didn't see the signs.

Don had mistook that for something else, he'd gave my badge back but it was like a jigsaw piece you'd accidently ruined, it would never fit in the same slot again. I had to admit being a cop wasn't a part of me anymore. It was becoming simply a job.

Someone had told me when that happens it's time to get out, and I'd wanted out since Flack had taken my hand and put that badge back in my palm. I understood his reasons and his actions, who better to understand him than a cop?

But I couldn't be a cop anymore and I think in the end that insight at that time frightened him because that left nothing between us. It had always been the one thing we shared ad if it wasn't there, there didn't seem to be a marriage either.

I routed through my bag, searching and seeking through the compartments to find the tiny rectangular piece of card I was looking for. The business card Gus had given me in case I needed it.

There was only one way out and I was about to use it.

I dialled the number on the front and waited for the Dean at Columbia University to answer.

* * *

The Lab was surprisingly quiet when Gus stepped off the elevator and strode through the glass corridors. Techs, CSI's, everyone was working quietly and diligently. There was a calmness in the lab, everyone was wrapped up in their own cases and Gus missed that. She was back tomorrow, something se was both nervous and excited about.

She'd already called Brad to give him a piece of her mind. The guy had been apologetic, saying that the flowers were just a thank you, and that his card had been just that. Gus wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. On one hand she was inclined to see the good in everyone on the other… The guy did have a history with his ability to let go.

The smell of MacDonald's was spreading through the air, making her own stomach rumble as she carried it towards the AV Lab.

She could see Adam sitting there, leaning back as he studied something that resembled CCTV footage. She paused in the door way as he rhythmically tapped out buttons on the keyboard, with his right and, his left hand was pressed to his mouth, giving him a weary and worried expression.

The scent of MacDonald's was already wafted into the room. Adam's nostrils twitched and she watched with a small smile as he tipped his head back in his chair to look at her, before swivelling his whole chair towards her.

"I bought you lunch." Gus said tentatively holding up the paper bag.

"I'm not hungry." Adam told her, turning his head back towards the CCTV footage.

"Adam…"

"I get it, you don't have to explain. You just... You should have told me Gussie. If you wanted to see other people you should have told me." He said, biting his lower lip.

Gus could see that it was trembling; he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. Gus stepped into the room, closing the glass door behind her.

"I'm not seeing anybody else Adam, those flowers were a thank you from one of my old patients. We bumped into each other a few days ago. The cards got mixed up." She explained calmly.

Adam jerked his head towards her, looking unsure. Gus stepped up in front of him, setting the brown paper bag down on the counter, her hands on her hips.

"Adam in the whole course of our friendship I have never lied to you. Why would I start now when I'm in a relationship with the man I feel I've known for a life time? You know me Adam, and you know if I was unhappy, I would tell you." Gus persisted.

"I just thought…with me working all the time, you may want someone who can take you out on real dates and not get called in." he mumbled, fiddling with his black beaded bracelet.

Gus crouched down in front of him, taking both of his hands in hers.

"The only person I want is you, besides who else would get it when I was on call out?" she smiled.

"Are we good?" she questioned her heart thumping in the chest.

Adam nodded, pulling his hands away from her so she could stand up.

"We're cool." He agreed, swivelling slightly in his chair and reaching back for something.

"Now I know you don't go back to work until tomorrow, but I feel now is a good a time as any to give you this." He told her, handing a small vibrant coloured gift bag to her.

Gus frowned taking it from Adam and peering inside and taking out a small blue box. The breath caught in her throat as her eyes flickered to Adam worrisomely.

Adam chuckled, at the sight of her expression, holding his hands up in surrender.

"It's not a ring, so you don't have to look so worried." he reassured her, resting back in the chair, hand clasped together. "Go on open it." He prompted.

Gus did as she was told, her eyes lighting up at the sight in the tiny blue box.

"Its beautiful." She murmured, her fingers caressing the delicate silver etching.

"It's St Michael, the patron saint of police. I thought because you re going back to work tomorrow, you may need a little something to protect you." Adam explained rising to his feet.

The two of them were inches apart as Adam took the box from Gus's hands. Her jade green eyes rose up to meet his sky blue as his fingers caressed her cheek.

"You want me to put it on?" he asked hopefully.

Gus beamed at him as she nodded. She turned her back on him as he took the necklace out of the box, undoing the silver clasp as she lifted her long blond hair so he could loop the necklace around her throat.

Adam inhaled the soft scent that lingered on Gus's skin, she smelt like coco butter. Clean and fresh with a hint of elegance. He loved that smell.

He fastened the tiny clasp, before placing a chaste kiss on the back of her neck.

"It fits perfectly." She said looking down at the silver sovereign before turning to face Adam.

"It suits you." He murmured, brushing the hair back away from her face.

"It's wonderful thank you." She returned, standing on her tip toes and kissing his lips chastely.

"I'm sorry for being an idiot." He said as she drew away still admiring her necklace.

His hands came to rest on her shoulders lightly.

"It's ok, I know you have a lot of stress at the minute, being short handed and everything." She said, studying his face. "You know I'm here for you right? You need to talk or anything, I'm here."

Adam nodded.

"I know, as it turns out my sister bailed on her wedding." He confided. "She left Zach and is somewhere in NYC. My parents passed on the message a little while ago. I don't know where but they say she's safe and happy."

He was grinning again, as he ran his hand through his hair. Gus loved that smile; he looked like a little kid at Christmas.

"You wanna eat together in the break room; I mean I'm due a break. So…"

Gus scooped up their lunch from the desk, Adam took her hand, their fingers slotting easily together as he led her from the room.

* * *

Cory sighed as she settled back in her chair at work. For the umpteenth time, she was wondering if she was doing the right thing by putting Papa Messer in protective custody. She didn't know if Garvey had any moles in the U.S. Marshall service, but she doubted it. She knew that the witness protection program was highly successful. The only thing she was truly worried about was Papa Messer being about to cut himself off from his family and friends. She knew that he likely could have contact with Danny since he was a member of law enforcement and would be considered protected, but he would have to cut off all contact with Louie.

She thought about all her option and knew she had chosen the right one, but she still had doubts. That's why she had called Flack. She needed to talk it over with him and make sure that he was okay with her decision. She had called him a couple of hours prior, but he had been vague with where he was. _That's not like him. Him, Danny, Carmen and I have become really close friends. Why would he be holding back with me,_ she wondered. She glanced at the clock again. It was getting close to five and he still had not showed up. She was just reaching for her phone when she saw him walking towards her office.

Carefully, she studied him. His shoulders were slumped and he looked dejected. Tucking away that tidbit of information for later, she prepared to present him with her plan for keeping Papa Messer safe.

"Hey, Cory. What's so urgent?" Flack asked tiredly.

"Papa Messer showed up on my doorstep last night…beat up," she told him instantly before sighing. "I think it's time to consider WITSEC."

Flack raised his eyebrows. "Witness protection? Why?"

"Because I don't want him to come down with a serious case of dead before the trial." She motioned to the papers in front of her. "This is the application that I am submitting to U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Enforcement Operations, to see if they will accept it. They more than likely will, since we are trying a member of the Mafia."

Flack looked at her, stunned. "But that means that his safety will be out of our hands. The U.S. Marshalls handle all the security for people in the program."

"I know that, Flack. But really, do you want him to end up dead?"

Flack signed, wondering what else could go wrong in his life before relenting. "Okay, fine. Submit the application and let's see if we can get him in WITSEC."

Cory nodded, concern in her eyes. "Look, Don. You know that if something is wrong and you need to talk, I'll listen. Kay?" she probed gently, not wanting to be overbearing to him.

Flack looked at her, knowing from the fact that she had called him Don that she was not talking about work. He saw the concern for him in her eyes and briefly wondered what it would have been like if he had asked her out the first time she was in town. Mentally hitting himself upside the head since he knew how much she and Danny were in love, he shrugged his shoulders, feeling envy for Danny for the first time. "I know," he finally responded softly, sitting heavily in the chair in front of her desk.

"It's you and Carmen, isn't it?" Cory stated quietly.

Flack's head shot up in surprise. He thought they'd done a good job hiding their problems. "How…"

Cory smiled. "Come on, Don. I'm a cop, but I'm also a woman who is very observant. I've seen the signs for a while now that things weren't as perfect as y'all were making them seem. The final straw was that night at the bar, when Carmen and I were dancing together. Its intuition and I'm surprised that it's taken this long since that night for things to come to a head."

Flack stared at his hands, groping for words. "I don't think she loves me anymore. She said that she almost left me at the altar and now that we have Thomas, it's just going to make things harder for him. I don't want him hurt and I know that Carmen doesn't either."

"Neither of you want that, but some people are just not meant to be together. No matter how much you love her, this relationship wasn't healthy for any of y'all. Thomas included. I think you will do better as friends and co-parents than y'all have doing together," she said honestly as she walked around her desk. She settled into the chair next to Flack and put her arm around him. "I know it hurts and if you ever need to talk, I'm here. Your friends will understand and we will be here to support you both."

Flack swallowed hard, un-expectantly feeling touched by her quiet words and the comfort that she was providing. Finally, he stood, drawing her into a friendly hug. "Thanks, Cory. I appreciate that," he said before releasing her.

Cory chuckled. "That's what friends are for," she said with a wink. "Now get outta here and let me finish working. I'll let you know when I hear back about WITSEC."

Flack smiled wryly, his first smile since he had walked out of the apartment and realised that she was right. His friends would be there for him he'd make it through this.

_**Howdy peoples, apologises on how long it has taken me to post. I have recently started a new job and are now on a shift rota, this week I'm on lates so I'm getting home late and getting up only to head straight to work. So posting will be a bit stunted because I'll be unable to write but I am trying. So stick with me.**_

_**Thankies to BEG, Sparky and Axellia for contributions betaing and to listen to be whine about random storylines.**_

_Bad: lol maybe their happier apart, who knows? I have plans either way so we're not left stranded. Lol For all we know Carm and Flack may be destined for other people. You'll just have to wait and se. The day trip thing was a surprise for me when I wrote it. _

_Blue: Sam/Hawkes is a stroke of genius. I think Sam's the right kinda girl to let Hawkes take some risks and as you fid out later he wouldn't be doing it unless he was 100 percent on it. We'll just have to see how it goes with Carm but I have plans either way._

_Forest: lol it's nice to write every couple but at the same time it's hard because the length you have to go into sometimes. You'll just have to wait and see what happens, I think everyone will try and do what's best for Thomas. Lol I don't think I would if I was really in love. And I hope you like the little Gus and Adam in this chapter._

_Soccer: Thankies very much, I think sometimes when people don't like the direction it's taking they decide its not for them. It's usually people w have probs with realism._

_Hope: Thankies, I work quite hard on this. It's hard trying to capture all the emotions I imagine that she must be feeling. Lol Sam and Hawkes are going all out at the minute, their so happy and loved up, it's cute._

_BEG:I agree some people are just not meant to be. Thank for the review. I plan a huge catch up at the weekend when I eventually get home. Lol I love your contributions! They always slip in seamlessly. I'll let you in on a secret it gets a lot worse for Adam!_

_Maddy: It's really hard to create a balance and didn't think there was anymore I could write on the subject of Carmen's feelings at the time, esp when I needed to move the story along in other places. Lol everything is fine with me. Thanks for the review._

_Sparky: I'm trying to write this all in before work so fingers crossed. That's the point there's not only one person involved and I like showing Flack's emotions towards the situation. Lol we have to have someone happy in this story. Lol if someone actually breaks them up we'll all be in the line to murder them! Thanks for the review!_


	114. Chapter 114:Happy

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

_I only know that I am  
Better where you are  
I only know that I am  
Better where you are  
I only know that I belong  
Where you are_

_A Fine Frenzy – Near To You_

Was it normal to be this happy?

So happy that your feet didn't feel as if they were touching the ground? So happy it seemed as if you couldn't stop smiling or laughing? That you existed outside of yourself and that nothing mattered outside of you and that moment you could not stop reliving over and over again?

Samantha truly wanted to believe that the way she was feeling right now, as she and the man she'd be marrying in less than fourteen hours walked hand in hand down Far Rockaway beach, was perfectly normal and healthy. That is was okay to be as giddy and nervous and anxious as a school girl the night before a big date with the most popular guy in school. That the butterflies in her stomach and the delight that threatened to consume her from head to toe and threatened to turn her into a giggling mess were fine for someone her age to experience.

Because in all honesty, it felt like a dream. All the mutual love and acceptance and respect and adoration that existed between them. The way the sand felt cold and fine under her bare feet and tickled between her toes. The sounds of the waves lapping gently against the shore and the way the moonlight sparkled so brilliantly on the water.

"Pinch me," she said suddenly, breaking the comfortable, content silence that had hung between them after they left the restaurant where they had dined by candlelight nonetheless, something she'd never been treated to before to celebrate their forthcoming marriage.

"What was that?" Hawkes asked, her words breaking into the reverie he'd found himself in. "I didn't hear you, Sammie."

"I said pinch me," she said.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because this can't be real. Can it? Are we really here together? Are we really under the moonlight, walking bare foot in the sand, holding hands and listening to the waves? Because it seems like a dream. It doesn't feel real."

"It is," he assured her, smiling softly at her and tightening his grip on her hand.

"I mean, the way I feel. It can't be real," she continued. "It's like I'm walking on air. That I'm almost outside of myself watching us. And stuff like that only happens when you're under the control of certain controlled substances, right?"

Hawkes chuckled. "It's real, Samantha," he told her. "I'm here, you're here. The moon is out, the stars are in the sky. That's really the sand under your feet. Those are waves you're hearing. Everything about this night is real."

"I'm scared I'm going to wake up," she admitted. "That I'm going to wake up and I'm going to be back in Arizona and married to a man I don't love and stay with out of blinding fear. That I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone and Zack…"

"There is no Zack," Hawkes told her firmly. "There's just me and you. Me and you and forever."

She smiled at that. "I still think you should pinch me to be on the safe side," she said.

"Hmm…how about I kiss you instead? Is that as good as pinching you?"

That smile broadened. "A kiss is even better than a pinch," she declared.

He dropped her strappy sandals that he'd been carrying on the sand and tugged gently on her hand and pulled her in front of him and towards him.

Sam's toes caught in the sand and she tumbled forward slightly, giggling as she fell into his chest. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she curled her arms around his neck, one hand resting on the back of his neck as his eyes searched her. He didn't need to say the words. He didn't need to make promises. Because everything he felt and everything he vowed was right there in his eyes.

His hands drifted up and down her sides, resting on her slender hips as he covered her lips in a slow, unhurried and undemanding kiss.

She sighed into his mouth. Her fingernails grazed across and down his neck and than up onto the back of his head, pulling him further and deeper into the kiss.

"Do you still think you're dreaming?" he asked, their lips mere inches apart.

"No," she sighed dreamily. "That felt very much real. But maybe you should do it again. For good measure."

He grinned and kissed her once more. With more passion and intensity and longing. And when the need for air became a necessity, he pulled back slightly and was taken back by the sheer beauty and innocence that she had possessed. Her pale skin glowing in the moonlight and her eyes closed and a gently smile curving her full, alluring lips.

This woman was going to be his wife. A woman that had captured his heart and his soul quicker than any before had ever managed. And the love he felt for her was all consuming and overwhelming and frightening at the same time. This woman was going to bear him children. They were going to grow old together. Raise a family together. They were going to have forever.

And even that didn't seem long enough.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Tell me you love me," she said.

"I love you," he told her.

She ran a hand along his face, trailed her fingertips along his lips. "I love you, too," she said. "And you know? I could really get used to being kissed like that for the rest of my life."

"You could?"

She nodded.

"That's good. Because that's exactly how I plan on kissing you for the rest of your life."

"That alone is worth the price of admission," she giggled, and moved to his side once again and took his hand. "I think I've had too much champagne," she said, as they continued their stroll.

"You only had two glasses," Hawkes told her.

"One makes me tipsy," she said. "Two? Well two just makes my feet and the tip of my nose tingly."

Hawkes laughed.

"It's true!" she exclaimed. "I can drink the hardest stuff out there and it doesn't hit me nearly as hard as the champagne does."

"Maybe it has something to do with the mood you're in. The alcohol mixed with your endorphins."

"God it turns me on when you talk like that. You know, my mother always wanted me to marry a doctor. I never thought I'd ever grant her that wish."

"I'm not a practicing doctor," he reminded her.

"You're still a doctor, Sheldon," Sam said. "You still went to medical school. You worked in an OR and an ER. You were the chief Medical Examiner. You still have an ME by your name."

"True."

"Doctor and Mrs Hawkes," she mused. "I love the sound of that."

"You know, every morning when we wake up for the rest of our lives, I'm going to look at you and say good morning, Mrs. Hawkes. Just because I can and just because you like the title as much as you do."

"You know what I'm going to call you?" Sam asked.

"What's that? No silly nickname I hope. Honey or baby or babe or even sweetie I can take from time to time. But when you called me…what was it? In the shower?"

"Snuggle bunny," she said. And giggled.

"It was cute, at the time. But not something I'd like to be called all the time."

"Fair enough. I will call you honey and baby and babe and sweetie. But you know what I'm going to call you the most?"

He shook his head.

"Mine. I'm going to call you mine."

Hawkes grinned broadly. "Is it just me or was that super corny?"

"It was," she agreed, letting out a musical peel of laughter. "But God, Sheldon. I just love you so much. I can't help it. You just have me…I don't know…happy…you just have me happy."

"That's all I want you to be, Samantha. With yourself. With me. With us."

"I am," she sighed. "Beyond words."

"Did you call your parents?" he asked. "At least to tell them that you were in New York City and safe?"

"I called when you left on your secret mission this afternoon. I left a message on their machine. And I asked them to relay the message to Peanut. So that he isn't worried sick about me. I'm just not ready to talk to him yet, Sheldon. He's my brother and I love him dearly. But he's going to think I'm nuts for getting married out of the blue. Especially to someone he works with."

"It would still be nice to have his blessing."

"It's just better this way. For all of us. I need you to trust me on that."

"I do," he told her, and raised her hand to his lips to press a kiss to it.

"And you never told me where you did go this afternoon," she said.

"Like you said, it was a secret mission. And that's what it is. My secret."

She pouted dramatically. "We had just gotten back from getting our license and our rings. What more could you have possibly needed to do?"

"I had forgotten something," he told her. "Not forgotten it really. I just couldn't buy it when I saw it because you were with me and I wanted it to be a surprise. So I went back and got it."

"When do I get my surprise?" she asked curiously.

"I was going to wait until we got home."

"That's not fair," she complained.

He chuckled. "But seeing as this is a beautiful and romantic spot. Out here on the sand with the moonlight on the water and the stars out in full force. This seems like as good as a time as any."

"For?"

He didn't't answer her. At least not with words. Instead, he dropped to a knee on the sand in front of her and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.

"We said just wedding bands!" she cried.

"I couldn't't let my future wife go without an engagement ring," he said.

"But I proposed to you!" she argued. "So technically, I should have bought you an engagement ring and it should be me done on one knee asking you properly!"

"Samantha, let me do this. For you. Please?"

She nodded and bit her bottom lip and fought back tears.

He opened the lid of the box, revealing a full carat oval shaped diamond set in a thick yellow gold band. White gold trim around the edges. Matching the bands they'd picked out earlier that day. He plucked out the ring and set the box in the sand and took her left hand in both of his.

"Samantha," he began.

"Don't make me cry," she warned.

"I'll try," he promised. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing," he admitted. "To be honest, I don't even really know what to say. Other than I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. And that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to have babies. Grandbabies, even. I want us to grow old and grey together. I want you to walk beside me for the rest of my life. I want to call you my wife. And I want you call me your husband. Will you marry me?"

She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Of course I will."

He gently slipped the ring onto her trembling fingers and raised her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it.

"Doctor Hawkes," she said in a teasing tone as he stood up. "Were you nervous?"

"Very," he admitted, letting out a sigh of relief before clearing her tears away with gentle thumbs.

"I think I can make you even more nervous," Sam said. "Or at least spook you."

"I don't get spooked," Hawkes told her. "About anything."

"I don't know…this could spook you. Big time."

"Honestly, Samantha," he kissed her softly. "I don't get spooked."

"Can I at least try?"

"Doesn't't hurt to try, I guess."

"My period is late. I should have gotten it two weeks ago and it never came and seeing as Zack can't have kids because he intentionally had a vasectomy two years ago because he didn't't want any brats as he called them and thankfully, its sparing the world of any of his evil offspring.."

"You're pregnant?" he asked, in utter shock and disbelief.

"I didn't't say that. I said my period was late. It's been late before. Hell, once I waited two months for it to arrive. My body's always been screwy like that. But I didn't't want to keep that back from you and go into the marriage without telling you."

"But how? You said you were on the nuvaring."

"And I am. Faithfully. But I don't know…maybe something got screwed up along the way. I was taking meds for anxiety and maybe one messed around with the other. I don't know. I just k now it's late. So…surprise."

His eyes were wide as he stared at her. His chest heaved.

"You're spooked, aren't't you," she said nervously.

"A little," he admitted.

"Just a little?"

"Okay…maybe more than that."

"So the un-spookable Doctor Sheldon Hawkes is spooked?"

He nodded.

"In that case, I guess now is the time to tell you that I've already taken the test."

"And…"

"And…it was negative."

He let out a massive sigh. But was it relief he felt? Disappointment? Standing there, in the moonlight with her, Hawkes realized that it was the latter. That the whole time she'd been rambling on he'd been thinking about their baby. About her carrying their child inside of her. Something they had created together out of love. He had thought about whether he wanted a boy or a girl. He contemplated what a child of theirs would look like. Beautiful like his or her mother no doubt.

"I really wanted it too," Sam said, sensing, and seeing, the disappointment.

He gave her a soft, soothing smile. "Our time will come," he assured her. "When it's not so unexpected and shocking. When it's something we want more than anything in the world. When we plan for it. We have lots and lots of time for babies. And baby making."

She giggled at that. "That's the best part," she said. She held her hand up and admired the ring now gracing her finger. "It's beautiful, baby. I love it. And you are so very sneaky."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he told her. "Do you want to head back? It's getting late and we have a busy day tomorrow."

"It's getting a little chilly," Sam said, rubbing her bare arms.

He slipped out of his suit jacket and draped it around her slender shoulders before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close as they changed directions and headed back down the beach.

"I called Carmen," Sam said. "Needless to say she was surprised to here I was in the city. She seemed a little…I don't know…preoccupied."

"Things have been crazy at work. She's been logging a lot of hours."

"I could tell she was tired and not in the mood for chit chat. But she was relieved to hear I'd left Zack. And more than a little suspicious when I asked her to meet me at City Hall tomorrow at two thirty."

"But she agreed?"

Sam nodded. "Did you call Mac?"

"He sounded extremely suspicious. But he said he'd be there. Two thirty, on the nose."

"Are you nervous?" Sam asked. "About getting married?"

"Nah," Hawkes shook his head. "Not nervous. Anxious. And ready. More than ready. Are you nervous?"

"No. Shockingly enough. No. I was terrified over the thought of marrying Zack. But the thought of marrying you? I'm ready, too."

"That's good," he said, and pressed a kiss to her temple. Than sighed heavily. "There's something I need to tell you, Samantha."

"Oh God," she groaned.

"Do you remember that friend I told you about? The night that we made love?"

"The one with Ovarian cancer?" she asked. "With the little boy?"

Hawkes nodded.

"Is she okay? She didn't't…"

"No. She's very much alive. For now. Like I said, it's end stages and her time is limited. Connie. That's her name. I knew her through my days at the hospital. She was an OR nurse and worked a lot of my surgeries. We became close friends. She helped me through some hard times when I lost one too many patients."

"And?" Sam asked.

"And we dated. Briefly. We realized we were better friends than lovers."

Sam nodded in understanding. "And her son?"

"Bradley," Hawkes told her. "He's ten. And he's my son, too."

Samantha froze in her steps. She stared at him. Long and steady.

Hawkes stopped as well and turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his. "I've been spending every second weekend with him. And she's good about letting me see him pretty much whenever I want. And I pay support. Faithfully. Sammie, I wanted to tell you. So many times. That night, at my apartment? I was going to tell you then. But there never seemed to be the right time. No one knows. Just you. I've keep it a heavily guarded secret."

"You're a private man, Sheldon. I can understand that. But…your son?"

He nodded. "I couldn't't go into a marriage with you with that hanging between us. I love you, Samantha. You're going to be my wife. And I don't want any secrets between us. And when Connie dies, and she will die, my son is going to need a home."

"With us?" she asked meekly.

"He's my son," Hawkes told her. "He's going to lose his mother. I can't let him lose her and lose a stable home, too."

"But I'm…I don't know if I can…a son?"

"I know it's a shock, baby. I know. But I had to tell you. Because he's going to need a family to love him. And we can give him that, Samantha. Me and you and whatever babies we decide to have."

"But he's ten, Sheldon. Ten. I don't know anything about ten year olds."

He sighed. "It's a shock. And I can understand if this makes you change your mind about us."

"What?" she shook her head. "No…no, Sheldon. It doesn't't make me change my mind. It doesn't make me think less of you. If anything, I respect you even more for not bailing on Connie and leaving her high and dry and struggling to care for a child all on her own. A lot of guys would have done just that."

"I'm not a lot of guys, Samantha."

"I know that. And that's why I love you as much as I do. And I do, love you. So much. I adore you, Sheldon. I love you for everything you are and everything you have and finding this out, it's shocking, but it's not earth shattering or life ending."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finding out that you have a son. That you're a daddy. That doesn't't make me love you any less. And I'll love your son. Because he's part of you."

Hawkes smiled and dropped one of her hands. Laying his hand on the side of her face, he kissed her softly. Reveling in the honest of her words that rang in his ears. In the touch and taste of her lips. "I want you to meet them," he told her. "Before we get married. I can call Connie first thing in the morning and she could keep Bradley home from school until the afternoon. Because I'd like them to meet you. Especially him."

"I'd like that, too," she said. "Do you think he'll like me?"

"He'll love you. After all, he's my son. And look at how much I love you."

She smiled.

"We should get home," Hawkes suggested, and took her hand and once again started down the beach.

"I like how you said that," Sam told him. "Like it's our home."

"Well because it is," Hawkes reasoned. "And as soon as we can, I'd like to get a home that's just ours. A bigger apartment, a small house maybe in another borough? You know. So there's lots of room for all those babies you want."

She giggled. "And how many do you think I want?"

"How many do you want?" he asked curiously.

"Two or three," she replied. "Biological babies, that is."

"Two or three sounds good," he agreed. "I think I have two or three babies in me."

"You know what I think?" she asked.

"What's that?"

She let go of his hand and jumped in front of him. Grabbing a hold of the front of his shirt, she yanked him aggressively towards her and planted a long, toe curling kiss on his lips.

"I think we should go home and start on baby number one."

Hawkes grinned broadly. "That's the best idea I've heard in a long time," he said as they began to leave the beach.

_**I know it has been an awfully long time since I posted but I have a new job and home work for said job, and an irritating shift rota. Then Christmas is coming up. I've been so busy I'd hard to breath at the moment. The only time I get to wrote at the minute is on public transport. I'm sorry people, but enjoy this chapter. It was written by BEG75.**_

_Soccer: I have a lot of plans for this its just seeing where we end up, the muse does what the muse wants._

_Katy: lol this is twisty writing at it's best._

_Daisy: lol couples are easy to love but it doesn't mean they stay together, they would be better apart than together, it's going to be hard for the both of them but it's best to just wait and see what happens. Lol I love Matt and Tay they are definitely a fun couple._

_BEG: lol Matt is the char I am the most fond of in that respect, because he's such a sweet heart. I think she's always been a little shunted after the experience she had and in the end marriage so not for everyone and she needs someone who will call her on her selfish nature. Someone she genuinely loves and cares about. In a way her and Flack are both as bad as each other. _

_Lol Adam loves his Gus. Papa Messer as an interesting storyline. Thanks for the review._

_Bad: lol I'm glad your still enjoying it. Thank you for your kind words!_

_Sparky: I hope the move went ok! Lol well you know about that's storyline too, it should be interesting to pull off. Lol I love Tay and Matt so fingers crossed they will!!!_


	115. Chapter 115: Complications

Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

_Wondering what I've got to do  
Or who I'm supposed to be  
I don't want to be anything other than me_

_Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Wanna Be_

The brown manila envelope was sitting there on my desk, I simply sat there staring at it, already knowing but hoping so much that I was wrong. The envelope looked official, and it was sealed shut. Adam had already told me Flack had come by my office earlier. I could see him in my head, placing it on my desk, right in the centre so I couldn't miss it. Push had come to shove, and shove was apparently a manila envelope I was guessing contained either separation or divorce papers.

I already knew what Don's demands were even before I touched that envelope. He wanted nothing except Thomas. I could have anything but my son. I already knew that this was going to end up messy.

My coffee was cold by the time I actually moved, it was only nine am, and I was already drained. I hadn't been sleeping well over the past few nights, and I needed to be on top form because we were understaffed. Our case loads were stacked high and there was talk of bringing in CSI's from Jersey to cover for the others.

Day in, day out we were subjected to a sickening amount of horror and stress and then when I got home I couldn't shake it. I couldn't close my eyes to sleep because my mind was already alert and awake working over everything that had happened in such a short space of time. I was always wondering about the next step, what could possibly happen. It was beginning to show. Adam was already asking me three times a day was I ok? And I spent most the time hiding from Mac so he couldn't see the state I was in.

I was at the lowest of the low; I'd stopped by the pharmacy last night and bought a bottle of sleeping pills in order to tide my over for the night. Those little white pills were my saviour right now. I'd been out like a light for over eight hours; I didn't think anything could have woken me. I was still groggy and exhausted but it was easier to manage right now, easier to hide.

Flack had stopped taking my calls after I'd reamed him out about removing all of this stuff from the apartment without my knowledge. He'd been incredibly unfair, but in his own mind his actions were justified. He didn't want to see me because it was too hard for him at the moment. The only way he could do the right thing was to act like I didn't exist beyond the world of paper work, which was why he'd been avoiding me.

Our marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper and soon it wouldn't even be that. The worst part was not a damn person knew, and if they did I was positive I'd lose a lot of friends, because Flack was the better one out of us both. He was the one that people turned too when they had problems. He was the one that tried; I'd simply used him in away. Flack had always provided me with a sense of security, he'd made me feel safe no matter what the circumstance and I had needed that feeling. I'd been seduced by it, I would have given anything at the time to keep it because it made me feel stable and more balanced.

When Flack had started keeping secrets our trust had fractured and the stability had vanished and that was something that had not been repaired. I may trust him with my life but I didn't trust him with my heart any more, and it was just one of the problems that plagued us.

Holding the envelope in my hands I realized there was no us now, there was just me rattling around an empty apartment flooded with memories of happier times.

I tore open the top of the manila and withdrew the papers from it slowly, laying them down in front of me before peering down at them and reading the heading. Flack was filing for separation. I flicked through the papers taking in the information as I read each line.

He was trying to make it as amicable as he could, giving me my share of everything and asking for little more than custody of Thomas, I could even have the apartment if I wanted.

I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth feeling overwhelmed. Seeing the paper work in front of me clarified everything. The relationship was failing; separations were a trial period for people who weren't sure about divorcing. If Flack ad gone this far though it was easy to anticipate divorce was next. He wanted to see what I was going to do, before he took the final step.

There was a small rapping on my door; I slid the papers underneath a stack of files before clearing my throat as the door opened and putting on a bright smile.

Adam poked his head in, a bashful expression on his face as pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"I bought you something." He informed me, setting a white box down in front of me. "You've been looking kinda sown lately so I thought you needed something to cheer you up."

I hope it wasn't a "Congratulations." Cake.

I lifted the lid to find myself staring into the thick creamy layer of banner as the aroma assaulted my nostrils.

"You got me a whole banoffee pie?" I exclaimed, raising my eyes to him as Adam pulled something from behind his back.

"And a fork." He added helpfully, handing the utensil to me.

I took it from him and began to stab at the pie, taking the first delicious bite.

"This is heavenly." I sighed, taking another bite.

"I'm glad you like it, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You know you can talk to me right or anyone of us if there's something up. I mean I know you'd probably talk to Flack more than me…" Adam was looking down at his hands so he didn't see me flinch at his words.

"You just look so sad sometimes, and I think that maybe you want to get away from us all. I know we see a lot of bad things but I feel like they should all be outweighed by the good we do."

His admission was sad because in a way it was the truth. It wasn't them all, it was it all. I wanted to step back from the memories, the pain, the job.

"It should be." I agreed, staring down at my pie and prodding it with my fork.

Adam's eyes were on me now; I could feel his curious gaze on me as I sighed deeply and met his gaze.

"I'm fine." I stated, with a forced smile.

Adam took a step back sensing my need for peace. His hand settled on the doorknob before he spoke.

"I am here." he said softly.

I glanced around the office, shaking my head and pursing my lips together, wishing I was anywhere but.

"Yea me too."

* * *

Connie Wilks lived in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The area appeared perfect for raising a family. Quiet tree lined streets, friendly, down to earth residents that smiled and said hello and good morning and engaged in chit chat when you passed them on the sidewalk. There were schools, both primary and secondary, within short walking distance and numerous spacious, well equipped and safe parks for children to play in. Small shops in the picturesque village style downtown area. Ranging from bakeries to toy stores to floral shops to clothing boutiques and hair stylists. A little bit of everything. Something for everyone.

They had stopped, on their way through to Connie's, in the downtown core. Samantha insisted that she couldn't go and meet them empty handed. She had to take them a little something and despite Hawkes' arguments that neither Connie of Bradley expected her to be walking through the door on her first ever visit bearing gifts, Sam had none the less picked out a large bouquet of mixed flowers for Connie at the florist and a video game that Bradley could play on his Wii. Hawkes had told her, a couple of hours before that while his son was exceptionally intelligent and was currently attending school two grades higher than where a normal child should be – he was also in the gifted program and taking some high school level courses- he loved sports. Especially football.

So he was not surprised, when his fiancee slipped back into the passenger seat of his black Nissan Murano SUV fifteen minutes after she'd announced she was going shopping and he was to stay in the car, no questions asked, that she came back with the most current John Madden football game for Bradley's Nintendo Wii. Also in her possession was the flowers for Connie and a small brown paper bag from the bakery three doors away. The contents of said bag filling the vehicle with a delicious aroma.

"Why didn't you let me pay if you were buying so much stuff?" Hawkes commented, as Sam placed the flowers on the back seat and the bags with the video game and whatever she had purchased at the bakery three doors down in her lap.

"Because I wanted to buy them things from me," Sam reasoned, buckling up her seat belt. "And if you paid for them, they wouldn't be from me now, would they?"

"Are you always this difficult?" Hawkes asked.

"I was born this way," she replied with a smile. "Aren't you just looking forward to the rest of your natural born life with someone like me? Driving you crazy and pushing your buttons? Nagging at you all the time? Cracking the whip and bossing you around? Isn't it scary that that is your future?"

"You are not that bad," he said.

"You poor delusional man," she laughed, and laying a hand on the back of his neck, pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You know, it's not too late. You can still back out. There's still..." she picked up his right hand and turned it around so she could check his watch. "Five hours to go. There's time to change your mind."

"There is no way that I am changing my mind," he informed her. "Come three thirty we are going to be husband and wife and there's nothing that can stop that from happening. And how do I know that you're not going to bail on me?"

"Getting married was my idea, remember," she said.

"Still doesn't mean you can't change your mind. How do I know that you're not going to pull a Julia Roberts, Runaway Bride on me?"

"I'll tell you why," Sam said, and sliding her hand from the back of his neck to his cheek, she leaned across the seat and covered his lips with hers in a long, sensuous kiss. "That's why," she said, when the kiss ended and she pecked the tip of his nose and sat back in her seat.

"You know," Hawkes said with a grin. "You have this amazing way with words."

She smiled.

"What's in the bag?" he asked, as he clipped his seat belt back on and started up the ignition.

"Bradley's video game. And a little something else I picked up."

"What little something else?" he inquired.

"Nothing really," she replied, and digging into the plastic bag from the toy store, pulled up an impossibly tiny pair of knit pink and white baby booties. "See?" she held them up in his line of sight.

He frowned. "Are you trying to tell me something? That maybe that test you took wasn't negative?"

"I am not pregnant," she assured him, sounding more than mildly disappointed. "I just thought that they were really, really cute and couldn't resist. And we are planning on having babies, so I can just put them away until that day comes, right?"

"What if we have all boys?" he asked, noticing the way she fingered the soft pink bows that adorned the ankle of each slipper. The wistful smile that curved her lips.

"Than I'll give them away to someone that has a baby girl," she responded. "There was blue and white ones and ones that were unisex. Green and white and yellow stripes. I can go back and get some more."

"Why don't we just keep the pink and white ones and come back when we actually have a baby on the way to buy things for?" he suggested.

"But that could be a long way away," she sighed, tucking the booties back into their bag.

"It doesn't matter how long it is," he said. "We'll still come back. For now we can put those away and if and when, we do have a girl, than at least we have them. I just don't see the sense buying things for a baby that doesn't exist yet."

"True," she agreed. "I just thought that they were really sweet. And I guess...I don't know...I guess maybe I was a bit disappointed when that test was negative."

"What would you have done if it wasn't?" Hawkes asked, as he put the SUV into drive and pulled out into traffic.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess I would have come to New York City right away and told you. Praying that you wouldn't freak out on me."

"Why would I have freaked out on you?"

"It was our first time, Sheldon. Who gets pregnant the first time?"

"A lot of people. Doesn't matter if it's the first or second or a hundredth. You can get pregnant any time."

"But we were careful. I mean, we didn't use a condom but I was on that stupid ring thing. I didn't know that certain meds could totally make the thing useless."

"There's a lot of medications that can cause problems with birth control. Any form of birth control for that matter. The pill, the ring, the patch. Even the depo shot."

"You only know all of that because you're a doctor," she said. "I am so glad that I am marrying someone with an MD who knows all of this stuff. Someone has to be the brains in our family. And who knew birth control was so damn confusing and you needed a degree in rocket science to understand it?"

"Well you're not on anything now, so you don't have to worry about slip ups or mistakes or things going wrong," he told her. "And for the record, I wouldn't have freaked out on you."

"You wouldn't have?"

Hawkes shook his head. "I would have been surprised, but I wouldn't have been upset. A baby is a baby. A miracle regardless of how it's conceived. It would have been a shock, but I would have accepted you, and our baby with open arms."

She smiled and laid her hand on his thigh. "Is that how it was with Bradley?" she asked. "Were you surprised when Connie told you she was pregnant?"

"I was very surprised," he admitted.

"But you wanted him, right? You wanted to be a dad as soon as she told you, right?"

"I was shocked that it had happened and I was scared at the idea of being a father. Marriage and kids weren't always on my agenda. They weren't always part of my overall life plan. But there wasn't a time when I thought about telling her not to have the baby or I considered giving up my rights to him. He was my responsibility and I helped make him. It was up to me to make sure he was well taking care of. And that's the way it's been all these years."

"Did you ever think about wanting him for yourself?" Sam asked. "Having him live with you instead of just having visits?"

"That thought never crossed my mind," Hawkes replied. "I suppose, if he lived in a questionable environment or there was some doubt to how his mother could care for him, I'd think that way. But his mother loves him and takes incredible care of him. He's her entire life. And I'd never take him away from her."

"She was lucky that she got pregnant by someone like you. Someone that has good morals and a big heart and wouldn't abandon her. Because a lot of men wouldn't have stuck around like you did, Sheldon. So she and Bradley are lucky to have you in their lives."

"I like to think that I just did the right thing," he said modestly.

"Not enough men do the right thing," Sam sighed.

"Zack didn't want kids?"

"Zack is only capable of loving himself. He didn't want me having kids because it would take away from the attention he got. And because he was worried what pregnancy would do to my body. He didn't want me getting fat or getting stretch marks and all of that. I had to look perfect. Once, I dropped the curling iron and it hit me in the stomach and left a little burn. He threw a massive fit about how it would scar."

"But he never thought twice about beating you and the damage that did," Hawkes commented.

"I was his possession. He could do whatever he wanted. That was his reasoning at least. And if that test had have been positive, that would have pushed him off the deep end because there'd be no possible way it the baby was his. He would have known that I had been with someone else and he would have went crazy and he probably would have..." she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Do we have to talk about this, Sheldon? This is suppose to be our wedding day. I don't want Zack ruining it."

"We don't have to talk about it," he told her, and dropping one hand off of the wheel, picked up her hand that was resting on his leg and entwined his fingers with hers. "Tell me what else you bought," he said, changing the subject. "What's in that other bag that smells so good?"

"Chocolate croissants," she replied. "Freshly baked. I thought we could all use a treat. Connie and Bradley will like them, right? I mean, he can eat chocolate, can't he?"

"He's a kid. Of course he eats chocolate."

"Well his father's a doctor and his mother's a nurse and for all I know, the two of you could have agreed to keep him sugar free and what not."

"Samantha," Hawkes couldn't help but chuckle. "You've seen the inside of my fridge and my cupboards, right?"

She nodded.

"How much of the stuff in there is healthy?"

"Other than the normal fruits and veggies?"

He nodded.

"Not much I guess. You have quite the stash of junk and frozen food and microwaveable stuff."

"I'm not a raging health nut, okay? I run and work out and that's the extent of taking care of myself. You ever want to sit down on the couch and eat a whole thing of ice cream, promise me two things?"

"Okay..."

"The first is that it's anything with chocolate or caramel and than the tub is big enough for both of us and you have two spoons."

She beamed. "I love you," she declared.

"Because I'm all for sitting on the couch with you and eating ice cream from the tub?"

"Well, that too. But just because I do. I don't need a reason do I? I just know I love every thing about you."

"I do have some faults, you know," he told her.

"Yeah...you're way too smart. No one should be allowed to be that much smarter than everyone else. It's just not fair. And your son is just like you? He's going to think I'm stupid or something."

"You have a masters degree. You are far from stupid."

"It's my common sense that's the problem. It's non existent."

Hawkes nodded.

"You're not suppose to agree with me!" she cried. "You're suppose to tell me that I'm the smartest, most amazing woman in the world."

"To me you are," he said, and picking up their joined hands, pressed a kiss to her wrist. "I love you, Samantha. And I promise that Connie and Bradley will love you, too. You've got nothing to worry about."

She gave a brave smile.

That's easy for you to say, she thought.

* * *

Danny looked again at the letter he'd received that morning. He couldn't believe it. His mother was asking him to come visit her. His emotions were torn inside of him; his loyalty split. He didn't remember Lucinda as his mother, he only remembered the woman who had raised him. _Why should I go and see her? I don't owe her anything. She walked out on Louie and me when we were young,_ he questioned himself. He wanted to blow her off, really he did, but for some reason his conscious wouldn't let him. So begrudgingly, he found himself walking into the prison a few hours later.

He greeted the guard, knowing that she was in solitary confinement, but with a flash of his badge, he was taken to see her. He sat in the white walled room with the clear glass around him wondering what exactly he was doing here. _Why am I here?_ He was getting ready to leave when the door opened and a guard led the woman who had given birth to him. His stomach knotted up as he looked at her, trying to reconcile the fact that his mother was a cold blooded killer.

Lucinda Garvey sat down in front of her son for the first time since he was two. Love and regret swelled in her breast as she realised what she had given up. Her youngest son had managed to break free of the life that she and Reggie had planned for him and although that had put them on opposite sides of the law, she was proud. He looked nervous, she thought as she realised and knew that Reggie had told him about her.

"So, I take it from your expression, your father has told you about me," she said bluntly. She had never been one to dance around an issue.

Danny looked at her in surprise. "Yeah, Pop told me. Why? Why did you leave me?" he asked, the hurt apparent in his voice.

Lucinda sighed. "I'll be completely honest with you, Daniel. I didn't want to leave you, but Reggie was the best person to get custody of you and Louis." She looked at him, seeing how he could take the news. "I was gaining power and coming close to being able to take over the Corleone family and if I had acknowledged either of you, that would have put you more at risk in the game that the Mob plays." She saw the surprise in his eyes at the admission. "Above anything else, I wanted you two to be safe and I did everything in my power to make sure of that."

Danny licked his lips nervously, still not believing her. He shook his head in confusion. "So why ask to see me now?"

Lucinda studied her manicure nails for a moment. "Because I need your help. I didn't kill that woman, the senator's daughter." She saw Danny roll his eyes. "Look Daniel, I've may have done a lot of bad things in my life, but killing her is not one of them. I've never been stupid enough to kill someone with that kind of power on the right side of the law or stupid enough to leave trace that it was I that killed them."

Danny snorted in disbelief.

Lucinda shook her head. "Daniel," she said with a warning tone in her voice. "The last time I did something like that personally it was to save you and Louis. I don't take threats to my children lightly and while I don't mind getting my hands dirty in the right situation, I prefer to delegate more."

Danny shook his head. "So, why does all of our evidence prove that you were there?"

Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to spell it out to you? I'm being framed."

"Why?"

"I don't know. There was been a lot of rumbling in the Family since I refuse to go into drug trafficking. Sorry, but I'm not putting that stuff on the street and the Family is profitable enough with out it. The younger members keep saying that I'm too old-fashioned and it's time for someone else to take the reins, but I still have the majority vote." She looked at her fingernails again. "Your father told me that they are looking to take me out and since they can't have me killed, then I would surmise that they are trying to put me behind bars."

Danny shrugged. "I'm sorry, but all the evidence points to the fact that you killed her. I can't do anything."

She sighed again, her face becoming more determined. "Look. Try looking into Mario Franzese. He was pretty high up in the Family before I came around. If anyone could pull this off, it would be him. Please, I don't want to go to prison for something that I didn't do. Please, Daniel. Do this me."

Danny looked into her eyes, seeing honesty written there and sighed. "Fine. I'll take another look at the evidence, but I'm not making any guarantees. I follow the evidence."

"That's all I'm asking you to do," she said softly, reaching out and gripping his hand in hers. "Look, I don't expect you to call me Mom or anything, but if possible, I'd like to get to know you."

Danny extracted his hand, not knowing what to say. "I don't know if I can do that, Mrs. Garvey," he told her as he stood. "I'll do what I can."

Lucinda watched his back as he walked out of the room, praying that he would follow through with what she had told him. Knowing that she had spoken the complete truth. The guard came in to return her to her cell, she sent another prayer up. _Please God, if it is Mario doing this, watch over my sons. He's ruthless and will stop at nothing to gain control._

* * *

**It's updating time. Sorry for the late update, my pc has been broken due to a nasty virus and then the internet broke in response to it being fixed. So long story short I can get back online now during intervals. So yay I hope. The internet chooses when it wishes to work at the current moment so we'll have to see how it goes. **

**So how is everyone and a special thanks to Sparkycsi and to everyone that reviews, you all make me smile and this story goes on because of you.**

_Soccer: Life is a little hectic at the mo, we're moving stuff around like hell in work for what we call a store reset. It's a nightmare. I'm glad you loved the chapter, we have loads of things planned for the future._

_Panther: I'm glad you love it. It's been really hard work for everyone to write their OCs and put it together but I have fab friends who love writing their OC's and they all gel very well together. _

_Sparky: Omg I know I am so behind, but there has been mass insanity here with xmas and work and my pc was fucked. I am praying for your niece, I'm sure things will get better even though I know it is really tough to believe in that for the moment. I so need to catch up and I will be reading the TWAH chapters in the next few days. Lol the secret has been brewing for a while and I can't wait ti write that storyline too it should be interesting._

_Hope: Howdy how have you been. It's been manic here with everything going on. Lol the secrets been on the cards even before Sam was. It's what has been distracting him lately. Sam is like that she's very accepting. I've been working on the whole Carm/Mari thing a little while I've been offline just a few little chats they have and a little friendship that develops between them._

_Lapland: lol sometimes she does me a favour and writes pieces or chapters. I find she writes Sam and Hawkes better than I can hence why I always ask her for a little help and her writing style is totally fab, I can't get enough of it. We still have a lot of things cooked up together. So we'll have to wait and see what happens._

_Maddy: What's OTP? Lol I'm glad you missed them, I'm still toying with what to do with them, but I have investigated them dating other people. We'll just have to wait and see how they pan out. I missed you! I don't feel like we've spoken in ages. How are you?_

_Axellia: lol We still have loads in store for those two. What you wrote was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and I love the change of storyline in regards to them. Lol we need t chat, I have no idea what's going on in other people's lives anymore, my internet has been a massive issue. Email me an update. The stats for marriage are very true and I'm still undecided with these two but we'll have to wait and see. Lol mistakes happen and at least Hawkes ended well. I'm so glad that there's at least one person whose happy in this. Trust me things are going to get real bumpy. Me and Cory have a few things planned. Lol Adam I love and Gus, I think Gus would be the one to have words and smack the guy about some, but we're just going to have to wait and see what happens, there are loads of ideas, I'm just wondering how much I can pack into a week. Happy New Year to you too babe._


	116. Chapter 116: Union

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

_Want to treasure the rest of your days here and  
Give you pleasure in so many ways dear and  
Finally you have found something perfect and  
Finally you have found......here we go_

_The Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Hard To Concentrate_

It was quarter to eleven in the morning when they finally made their way, hand in hand, up the front walk belonging to the modest, well maintained two and a half storey red brick home. A candy apple red Honda Civic, with a placard that read BAYSHORE HOME NURSING in the corner of the windshield, was parked behind an older model navy blue Mazda. A black and chrome child's bike lay on its side in the middle of the neatly trimmed grass. Flower baskets hung from the four corners of the porch and over the railing. A delicate wind chime dangling just over the top stair swayed and tinkled in the gentle breeze.

"Maybe one day, when we have our family we can live somewhere like this," Sam commented to Hawkes, as they mounted the front steps.

"You'd be happy in the suburbs?" he asked. "You wouldn't want to stick around the big city?"

"I want something we can call our own. With a porch we can sit on on summer nights. Grass we can cut. A backyard for our kids to play in. Somewhere quiet and nice. Just like this. Do you think maybe we could? Have something like this?"

"I think we can have anything we want," he told her. He dropped her hand as they reached the screen door. The front door beyond it was wide open and he knew from previous experience that that screen was unlocked. Connie always left the doors like that when she was expecting company. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "I'm really, really nervous," she admitted. "What if they don't like me?"

"They'll love you, trust me."

"I'm just some girl that appeared out of nowhere and is coming into their lives. What if Bradley thinks I'm taking you away from him?"

"He's not going to think that, Samantha. He's going to think that you're this really sweet, nice girl that's going to be his stepmother."

"The wicked stepmother," she grumbled.

"Hey," Hawkes laid his hand on the back of her neck and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Everything is going to be okay. They are going to love you. Okay? Just relax. You have nothing to worry about."

"What if he's smarter than me?" she asked. "I mean, he's your son and he's gifted and two grades ahead of where he should be and he probably reads bigger books than I do. I can't take the thought of a ten year old being smarter than I am."

"You did flunk out of that 'Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?' show last night," Hawkes teased her. "I mean I didn't know you weren't that great in fourth grade geography."

"Listen here, Mister I graduated college at eighteen and was a board certified surgeon at twenty-three. We can't all have brain pans the size of yours. What I lack in knowledge I make up for in stunning good looks and amazing bedroom skills. So there."

"Well I can't argue with you there," Hawkes said with a broad smile and kissed her softly and reassuringly before yanking the screen door open and gesturing for her to go inside ahead of him. "We're here!" he called out, closing the door behind him.

"Do I take off my shoes?" Sam whispered to him. " Leave them on? I don't know if I should walk around someones house in sandals or in bare feet."

"Leave your shoes on and just relax," he told her, and taking her hand, let her through the small foyer and into the living room.

Sam looked around. Taking in the immaculately clean home with it's polished hardwood floors and it's creamy colored walls and elegant window coverings and tasteful, simple, and obviously expensive, furniture. Connie was obviously a woman with impeccable taste and style. And that thought made Sam even more nervous, and incredibly unsure of herself. Why would a woman like that, want to bother with someone like her? Someone who shopped at Target and Payless when it came time to buy new clothes and shoes and got their haircut for twenty bucks and would rather dye and streak her own hair than go to a salon.

She was about to tell Hawkes that she had changed her mind. This wasn't a good idea. That maybe they could come back after they were married, when a tall, sickly thin African American woman came breezing into the living room with a warm, welcoming smile. Her cheek bones were sunk in and a her eyes seemed dark and hallow. She had suffered a lot but still held her head high and refused to bow to the cancer that was ravaging her body. She was dressed in a simple pair of beige linen slacks and a burgundy short sleeve blouse. Slight makeup gracing her features and a brightly patterned hanker chief over her head. She had long ago lost her hair to the chemo, and it was just beginning to return in patches.

"Sheldon," Connie greeted him with a warm embrace and a kiss to the cheek. "I was so glad when you called and said you'd be coming by today. And bringing a lovely visitor with you."

"How are you feeling?" Hawkes asked, taking in her tired, weary appearance.

"There's good days and bad," she replied. "This is one of the good."

"That's good to hear," he said. "Connie, this is Samantha Ross. Sammie, this is Connie Wilks."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sam offered her hand, than blinked when she found herself drawn into a tight embrace. She hesitated for a moment. She'd never been one to go around hugging perfect strangers. Or really anyone for matter. She just wasn't that touchy feely type. She gave Hawkes a startled look, than hugged the woman back.

"Very nice to meet you," Connie gushed, running an affectionate hand over Sam's hair. "Sheldon told me so much about you on the phone this morning. You met at work? Or through your work?"

"I am...I was a CSI in Phoenix," Sam explained. "But my brother, Adam, works with Sheldon and I've come down a few times in the past couple of years visiting and stuff. So Sheldon and I have known each other for a while, we just never got together if you know what I mean. We were friendly and all of that but we never...had a thing or anything like that."

"It's okay," Hawkes said to his future wife, his voice calm and gentle as he rubbed her back softly. "Don't be nervous."

"Sorry," Sam said to Connie. "I get nervous meeting new people. And when I get nervous I ramble. Really, really, really ramble."

"It's alright," Connie assured her. "I was pretty nervous all morning about meeting you, too."

Sam's eyes widened. "You were?"

The other woman nodded. "It's not every day one of your closest and dearest friends announces he's bringing over the woman he's marrying. I knew that he had someone in his life, but I didn't know it was that serious."

Sam looked at Hawkes. "You told her that...?"

"That I had met someone and she was in Arizona," he confirmed. "This morning I told Connie that you'd come to live in New York City and that you and I were getting married this afternoon."

"Oh...okay," Sam said. "That's my life story than," she gave a small laugh and turned back to Connie.

"You're originally from New York City?" the other woman asked.

"Brooklyn," Sam replied. "My accent, right? When I get nervous it really stands out. These are for you," she offered Connie the flowers. And the bag from the bakery. "I hope you like chocolate croissants. And there's some organic Awake tea in there. I thought maybe it would soothe your stomach. Sheldon told me on the way over that you were sick from your medication so I thought I'd pick some of that tea up and see if it helped."

"That's very sweet of you," Connie smiled as she accepted the flowers and the bag. "Would the two of you like something to drink? It's almost lunch hour. I'm sure you have some time to sit and chat."

"We have a little time," Hawkes said. "Is Bradley home?"

"He's been anxiously waiting for you," Connie told him. "He's just helping me out by putting some wash in the dryer. Follow me and I'll call him."

"I told you you'd be fine," Hawkes whispered to Sam, as he laid a hand on the small of her back as they followed Connie towards the kitchen.

"Bradley!" the other woman bellowed down the stairs that led into the basement. "Your dad's here!"

"Coming!" a child's voice yelled back. Within a minute, they could hear footsteps pounding up the stairs. "Daddy!" he cried as he stepped into the kitchen, his arms outstretched as he flung himself in his father's direction.

Sam couldn't help but admit to herself how strange it seemed to hear a boy she'd never met before, call her future husband daddy. She accepted Bradley completely, but there was a small part of her that wished her children, her and Hawkes' children, would have been the first ones to call him that. But as she watched them embrace warmly and her fiance shower attention and affection on his son, she realized what an amazing father he was. And that she and any of their future children would be blessed to have him in their lives.

She also noticed how much father and son looked alike. From the big brown, soulful eyes to the jaw structure and nose and even the lips and ears. Even the short, scalped haircut and the glasses.

"Bradley," Hawkes said to his son, taking him by the shoulders and turning him around to face Sam. "There's someone I want you to meet. This is Samantha. We're getting married today and I wanted the two of you to meet before that happened. Sam, this is my son, Bradley."

"Hi," Sam greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," he returned, shyly, his eyes downcast.

"You're...uh...your dad told me a lot about you," Sam said, taking a different approach to the boy and bending down so she was at his eye level. "He was telling me how very smart you are and how well you do in school. What's your favorite subject?"

"Science," he answered quietly.

"That was one of mine, too," Sam revealed. "Do you want to be a doctor like your dad? Or a forensics expert like your dad?"

"Both," Bradley answered. "Are you in forensics, too?"

Sam nodded. "My specialty is ballistics."

"So you like guns?"

"I like working with them," she responded. "Not what they can do to people. Your dad told me that you really like the Nintendo Wii."

He nodded.

"My little brother, Adam, he's a huge Wii fan. He loves all video games actually. He's even got one of those crazy dance mat things. He's really, really good too. Maybe one day you could meet him and the two of you could have some fun together. He's got tons of games. You love football, right?"

Another nod.

"I hope you don't have this game, than," Sam said, pulling the box out of the plastic bag in her hands and holding the object out to him.

"John Madden NFL Football '08!" the ten year old gushes excitedly as he grabbed a hold of the video game. "I've been wanting this for so long and my mom kept telling me to wait for my birthday but that isn't for another seven whole months!"

"Well that can be a 'let me be part of your family' gift from me to you," Sam told him. "I mean, seeing as your dad and I are supposed to be getting married today , I was hoping that you'd give your dad and me your blessing. You know, say that it's okay that we get married and we all become a family."

"I like that idea," Bradley enthused. Enthralled with both the game, and Sam being the one who gave it to him.

"I've never been a step-mom before," Sam sighed. "I might really suck at it at first."

"You won't suck," Bradley assured her. "And I've never been a step-kid before."

"Maybe we can be sucky together," Sam suggested. "Until we get used to each other and we know what makes each other tick. How's that sound?"

He smiled brightly. His father's smile. "Wanna come upstairs to my room and see all my video games?" he asked hopefully. "And the science project I'm working on?"

"Sure," Sam chirped. "Maybe we can even play some games. Do you have any hockey? I love hockey."

"I have a few! Hockey's cool. Whose your favorite team?"

"New Jersey Devils," Sam said.

"Me too!" he cried excitedly. "Martin Brodeur is the best goalie ever! I'll let you be Jersey the first game, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"What about me?" Hawkes asked. "Don't I get to see your science project and your video games?"

"You've already met me, Daddy," his son laughed "Sammie's new around here. I want to spend some time with her."

"Don't let him beat you too bad," Hawkes told his soon to be wife, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before his ten year old son dragged her out of the kitchen.

"I think another man just walked off with your future wife," Connie laughed, as she filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove to boil.

"She seems to have that effect on people," Hawkes said. "That went a lot better than I thought it would."

"You had doubts?"

"A little," he admitted, leaning against the counter beside his ex. "I was a little worried how Bradley would take to me getting married. Him having a stepmother. Brothers and sisters in the future."

"He thought it was great when I told him. He was just worried she wouldn't like him and would think he's trying to come between the two of you."

"That's funny," Hawkes said. "She was worried sick about the same things."

"I have to admit," Connie opened a cupboard and took down three china mugs. "I was somewhat shocked when you announced to me that you were getting married. I didn't know things were that serious between the two of you."

"It's a long and complicated story," Hawkes told her. "There was something standing in the way of us being together. It was why she was in Arizona and I was here and it seemed like there was a million miles in between."

"Was it a something? Or a someone?" Connie asked.

Hawkes just smiled.

"Affairs of the heart are tricky things," she sighed. "I'm just glad both of yours got worked out and your both where you want to be. I know you, Sheldon. Better than you know yourself. And I know you wouldn't be doing this, getting married, if it wasn't the perfect thing for you. What you wanted more than anything."

"I love her," Hawkes said. "More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."

Connie smiled. "I can tell she feels the same way about you. It's all over her face and in her eyes when she so as much looks at you. She loves you and adores you and respects you. And your son. She's a keeper, Sheldon. I hope the two of you have many years together and a big, beautiful family."

"So do I," he said.

"You know what surprised me even more than this quick marriage?" Connie asked.

"What's that?"

"The fact that when she walked in, I was not expecting to see you with a white woman."

"Connie, don't.."

"I am not saying there's something wrong with that. Just that I was surprised. I mean, I don't think you've ever dated a white woman, have you?"

"A couple of times, in college," he admitted. "But I was never serious with them. Sam's the first. But her skin color has no bearing on anything. It's her I fell in love it. Plain and simple. It wouldn't have matter what color she was, as long as it was her. The inside of her. That's all there is to it."

"I wish you all the best, Sheldon," Connie said, drawing him into her arms for a warm hug. "I hope you're just as in love fifty years from now as you are today."

"I will be," he vowed. "No doubt about it."

* * *

I was late. It was five past three and I was already supposed to be standing outside Town Hall in order to meet Sam. She was being so mysterious at the moment. She'd called me up the day before to inform me she'd left Zach and was staying somewhere in New York. In my opinion she had the right idea when it came to laying low, Zach was bordering on psychotic and it would lessen the risk of him actually finding her if she kept her address to herself.

I reached the steps utterly breathless, my heart pounding in my chest from running half the way here. I'd been forced to wrap my case up later than I had anticipated because one of the witnesses had refused to cooperate.

"Carmen, what are you doing here?"

I turned to face Mac as he stepped towards me from the newspaper stand on the corner. His smile genuine but I knew he was frowning at the coincidence. I checked my watch, I'd rushed all this way and Sam wasn't even here yet. That woman could not keep time.

"I'm meeting Sam Ross here, she called me yesterday…"

Mac's head jerked towards me.

"Sheldon called me, telling me to meet him here at three…" he informed me.

The two of us glanced around, scanning the crowd for their familiar faces.

"You don't think?" I began, raising my eyes to the building in front of us.

Mac tilted his head following my gaze.

"We are at town hall…" he commented

"And she was supposed to be getting married today…" I remembered. "And she never really wanted some big fancy wedding."

"Do Hawkes and Sam even know each other? Let alone well enough to get married." Mac asked me, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's just say they know watch other a lot more than I thought they did." I told him, pulling a face.

Mac raised his eyebrows in response. I didn't get a chance to reply. Hawkes had appeared at Mac's side, his hand clapping the older man on the back as he broke into a big smile.

"I'm glad you two can make it." He said grinning from ear to ear.

I was already taking in the fitted, expensive suit that Sheldon was wearing. It was charcoal grey, the white shit underneath a crisp and new. My eyes strayed to the small white rose pinned tot eh collar of his suit jacket and I knew.

"You look like you've just stepped off the cover of GQ, what's going on Sheldon?" Mac inquired I could tell he had also put the puzzle pieces together but he was looking for verbal confirmation.

"We're sorry for all the secrecy guys, but we wanted to make sure this was done properly before anyone else found out. We wanted you two to be the first to know." Hawkes informed us.

Mac crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Hawkes to complete what he was saying.

"We're getting married." The voice came from beside me.

I twisted my head to see Sam's tiny figure along side me. She was clad in a white sundress with tiny little daisies sewn into it. The dress made her look feminine and dainty. Her dark hair was pulled back into a half up, half down style. She looked beautiful, her cheeks were flushed with excitement, her golden eyes were sparkling. I realized that this was the first time I'd actually seen her happy.

Mac raised his eyebrows as Sam spoke, his eyes slipping to me as I grinned and shrugged at him. A smile broke out across his own face, and I could see the worried expression on Sam's beginning to fade away.

Mac took Sheldon's hand before pulling the younger man to him in a bear hug.

"Congratulations." I exclaimed, pulling Sam into a hug of her own. She was tiny in my arms, but she returned the hug fiercely.

"I was worried you were going to tell me off for rushing into this so soon." She confided into my ear.

I shook my head, drawing back my arms on her arms.

"You look happier than I've ever seen you and I know for a fact that as head strong as you are, you always make the right decisions." I returned, before drawing back and approaching Hawkes.

He opened his arms and drew me in to a tight embrace

"Thank you." Was all he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

"I'm just glad she got out of there, and that she has a real chance to be happy with you." Tears were overwhelming me now. I pulled away wiping them with the back of my hand, beaming.

"I know you'll take care of her and she needs that." I told him.

Mac handed me a handkerchief from his coat pocket. I dabbed at my eyes with it. I guess all the emotions of the past few days were creping up on me. I was just so glad to see that someone else was going to be happy.

"It's twenty past." Mac stated glancing at his watch.

Hawkes turned to Sam, his hand grazing her spine, and resting on her lower back.

"You ready Sammie?" he asked, his chocolate eyes meeting hers.

Sam's fingers entwined with his, she leaned in with a soft smile, pressing her lips to his.

"I'm ready to become your wife Sheldon.

Mac and I followed closely behind while they took off up the steps of Town Hall to be joined in holy matrimony.

**Howdy, I can't believe i's been so long since I posted, Carmen died a little with me, but now I've had some ideas. SO hopefully DI is alive and kicking again. Fingers crossed. Special thanks to BEG who wrote the Hawkes, Sam and Connie part of this chap!**

**Also thank God for hotmail.**

**Also a special thanks to anyone who still reads this.**

* * *

_Sparky: lol you may be getting a new chap soon who knows. Lol let's see if I can keep this alive._

_Soccer: Thanks for the review!!!_

_Hope: I think she did. I'm not sure what they're doing at he moment, we'll just have to wait and see._

_Lapland: Since people recognize her work anyway I didn't think it was a big deal. I will keep mentioning though. Thanks for the review._

_BEG: lol I know the feeling, but we'll have to wait and see what happens. I'm just following her lead. Lol you wrote the Bradley!_

_AX: OMG I always call her Cory! The pairing is my idea but it works really well. How are you doing?!_

_CSI: lol your review really made me smile I'm really glad you love it, and I appreciate your pairing names. Let me know what you think of this chap._

_Maddy: lol I was thinking about DI the other day and started on chap 117, you encouraged me to dig this one out and post!_


	117. Chapter 117: Warning Sign

Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen

_A warning sign,  
I missed the good part then I realized,  
I started looking and the bubble burst.  
I started looking for excuses._

_Cold Play - Warning Sign_

.

There was something going on, I wasn't sure how I knew, but I could feel it when I watched the two of them talk through the glass o the Crime Lab. Gus was leaning in towards Adam, and they were touching each other a little too much. To add to that, despite the hellish work load we were buried under, Adam was in fact smiling. Gus was leaning over Adam now, her chest brushing against his back as he peered at the screen. There was definitely something there.

"How long do you think that's been going on?" Mac's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned back in the visitor's chair to face him.

"I have no idea. I haven't noticed," I said shaking my head.

"First Hawkes and Sam, now Gus and Adam. You got any secrets you're not sharing?" Mac asked raising his eyebrows pointedly.

"Is this a trick question?" I inquired.

Mac looked at me pointedly. I shrugged.

"Not any more than you have," I responded.

The two of us stared at each other for a long time before Mac broke the silence.

"Don's spoken to me about the rotas," Mac said pointedly.

I shrugged, not getting the point he was making.

"He doesn't want to work with you any more," Mac finished, his eyes studying me intently.

I choked. I couldn't help it. The blood drained from my face and my fists were clenched by my sides almost as hard as my jaw. Mac was leaning forward on his desk now, his elbow resting on it as he looked at me.

"I know what's going on Carmen, about the separation and about him moving out. What I want to know is why I didn't hear it from you?" he asked me.

I met his gaze furious. Don had put me in this position; Don was forcing me to talk. I stopped myself from growling. I couldn't tell whether this was intentional or not. Flack was not a stupid man.

"I wasn't ready to talk about it. Everything is just so busy right now; there isn't time for personal stuff," I told him, fiddling with the wedding ring still on my finger.

Mac sighed.

"Don't do that Carmen. You're shutting down. You're becoming what I was after Claire died and it's not the way to go," Mac told me, shaking his head.

"The job is the only thing I have left at the minute. It's the only thing stopping me from breaking down and going to pieces."

"There's nothing wrong with doing that. You have friends, people who care about you and who think your part of their family, talk to them," Mac enforced.

I didn't know how he knew that I hadn't already.

"I'll try," I stated, before giving him a small smile.

Mac didn't look like he believed me. He shuffled the files in front of him looking troubled.

"Carmen, I leave for Paris tomorrow, I need to know your head is in the game." Mac was studying me now.

"It is," I clarified coldly.

"When was the last time you slept?" he questioned.

"Last night," I responded, intentionally leaving out it had taken four sleeping tablets instead of the recommended two.

He eyed me suspiciously, as if sensing that I was hiding something before slipping a card to me across the desk.

"If at all you need help with the Lab and you can't reach me. I want you to call Quinn. She's the Head of the New Jersey Crime Lab. She will help you out with whatever you need." I nodded as I took the card and reviewed it.

"Good luck with tomorrow and if you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me," he commanded before giving me he nod, symbolising that I was now dismissed.

* * *

Gus was bored. She was sitting on the edge of Flack's desk swinging her legs, waiting for him to return so she could get back into some form of work place routine. As nice as the time off had been, she'd tired of it quickly and now she was itching to get out on the streets, and work a case. She'd missed the pit, and the hustle and bustle of the station house.

She'd even missed her desk which was so empty at the current moment it was depressing. She glanced down at the huge stack of case files perched on Flack's desk. There were papers mixed in with them.

The whole pile was a state of disarray and that annoyed her. Flack had always been like his ever since they'd been partnered together. He claimed it was organised chaos but it really irritated the hell out of Gus.

When she took the first file off the top with the intent of tidying through the pile, a stray paper slid form the pile landing in her lap. She picked it up studying the words before blanching.

It was a transfer form.

A transfer out of the city and into one of the little suburban towns that lingered on its fringes. It was already signed and dated today by Flack, all it required was the Chief's go ahead, and that was it he was gone.

Gus felt her jaw clench as she slid the paper back into the file and set it down on the desk. He was leaving her, and that tore her up inside. Partners were supposed to stick together and he hadn't even mentioned the possibility of a transfer.

Gus cleared her throat.

What had she expected? She'd been out of the field for almost four months now, and he'd been working on his own. This was her fault. She should have stuck by him more, concentrated on the case files. She could maybe have provided some help.

She wondered when he was planning to tell her, or even if he was. She felt angry; he was supposed to be her friend as well as her partner.

Where would she end up now?

The only person who might help to answer that question was MIA. A sudden thought occurred to her, there was another person involved in this. Flack wouldn't have taken another job without consulting his wife. Gus snatched up the transfer paper before hurtling out of the room.

It was time to confront Carmen.

I was packing up my office, putting all my personal effects into a box preparing to move into Mac's. Mac had explained to me that his primary area of residence since he'd become the Head of the Crime Lab was always his office, and he suggested that I do the same.

* * *

The door was open letting a cool breeze through. It was a refreshing change from the heat we had been suffering lately.

"Carmen we need to talk." I closed my eyes for a brief second, praying for a brief moment of peace before turning around to face the blond woman in the door way.

"Hey, you're back in work..." I trailed off catching sight of her expression.

It set me immediately on the defensive. Flack must have told her, and she must think I'm awful.

"Gus..." I began.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" she asked, looking both hurt and furious as she held up a piece of paper.

"I haven't told anyone. It's not something I wanna talk about yet," I submitted, folding my arms over my chest.

"I think I have a right to know that the two of you are moving, especially since it's me that gets left here with Parker, or Rolands or someone!" Gus argued.

"What on earth are you talking about?" I asked, my hands on my hips.

"You know what I'm talking about. Flack and you moving to the freaking suburbs! The two of you transferring out there," Gus snapped.

I stared at her gob smacked. I couldn't react; I simply stood here staring at the piece of paper she was waving in my face.

"Give me that." I snatched the paper from her hand and studied it thoroughly.

My heart rate increased as I skimmed the words. My stomach churned as I set the paper down on the desk, my body quivering with mortification.

I clapped my hand to my mouth, taking a deep breath.

"You could have told me Carmen," Gus said calmer now, the sadness in her tone clenched around my heart. "All I'm saying is that one of you could have told me."

I hunched over the desk, both hands over either side of the paper as I stared down at it.

"I didn't know Gus, I swear I didn't know."

I glanced up and realized I was talking to thin air, Gus had already left. I could see her solitary figure storming towards the elevators. I looked at the paper again, my heart wrenching, as I snatched up the phone and dialled the only number I knew by heart.

"Flack it's me we need to talk."

* * *

Cory was dreaming. She knew it the moment she realized she was standing in a field of bluebonnets. As Armando beckoned her forward, she sighed and took his hand.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of seeing these things every time I go to sleep." she informed him.

"It's necessary," was all he replied before taking her into the next scene.

Cory read the brass sign as they stood next to the entrance of a large looming building. Her eyes took in the ivy scrawled up the sides of the huge red brick building. It looked like across between a house and hospital.

"Siena House," Cory murmured before turning to face Armando.

"Isn't this…" she trailed off spotting the lone figure, wheeling himself up the handicapped ramp at the side of the building.

Being in a wheel chair hadn't changed Matt's upper body physique one bit. His chest was still as broad as it always had been and the muscles on his arms were straining under the black t-shirt he was wearing. She also noticed that he was wearing a gold wedding band on his finger.

"What is Matt doing here?" Cory asked Armando as they followed him through the open doorway into a reception area.

It was clear that Matt was a regular here, as the nurses all called him by his first name as he did them. Cory was confused as hell by this.

"How's she doing today?" Matt asked the red head at the reception desk.

"She's slept through most of the day, the new medication that she's on has that effect I'm afraid," she told him sympathetically. A grim expression crossed Matt's face before he returned his focus to the nurse.

"Can I still see her?" he asked quietly. The nurse nodded before standing up and guiding him past a security door and down a glowing corridor. Cory trailed after them, feeling more nervous with every step.

It took the nurse one long moment to unlock and open the door. Cory followed Matt in to a semi lit room, consisting of a bed, a bookshelf and a chair.

"I'll leave you two alone. Just press the button when you want to be let out," the nurse uttered before closing the door behind her. Matt wheeled himself close to the bed, and apparently through a circle of white powder. Cory realized that it was salt.

Cory's eyes were fixed on the bundle curled up in blankets in front of her. She watched as Matt reached out and pulled the blanket down a little so he could see Taylor's tear streaked face.

"Taylor baby…" his voice cracked as he stroked the hair away from her face, trying to sooth her.

"He's still here Matt," she muttered. "They all are. The salt circle's not working."

"I know," Matt uttered quietly. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. Taylor's ring reflected in the light, drawing Cory's attention to it.

"He wants me to help her, but I can't…I want him to move on, but he won't!" Taylor was sobbing again now. As Matt reached out, she moved into a sitting position so he could draw Taylor into a comforting hug. She buried her face in his chest as he stroked her hair gently, his eyes tightly shut.

"Who's she talking about?" Cory asked Armando, trying to swallow her emotion.

"Flack and the others. He won't move on until he knows Carmen and Thomas are safe and happy. It's driven her mad because she can't help him."

"What about the others?" Cory asked, folding her arms over her chest, her eyes on the scene in front of her.

"When she was hit in the head during the blast, it sort of opened a gateway. She can see all spirits now, not only the ones the PTB want her to see. Combined with Flack, it's straining her mind, she put herself in here to try and get away from it all. She still hears them, but she doesn't see them as much." He paused for a second.

"In a world where the blast didn't affect her, she would have learned to deal with this and Matt would have helped her. She wouldn't be here," Armando finished. Cory stared at her companion for a second before asking the next question on her mind.

"You mean she's supposed to see all those ghosts, regardless of the blast?" Cory asked thoughtfully. Armando pursed his lips together.

"I can't say anything more about that," he told her. "We have to move on."

Quickly he took her hand, leaving Matt and Taylor to their privacy.

Cory jerked awake at her desk, her whole body vibrating with nervous energy as the images flickered through her mind. She thought that this was over, that the explosion wouldn't happen because things had changed now; things were different from her dream.

Flack and Carmen weren't together anymore; the dreams couldn't possibly be true. Yet her gut was telling her otherwise, her gut was saying that the circumstances didn't matter, the effects would still be the same.

-------------------------

_**Hey for some reason my muse has kinda taken hold of this fic and rolled with it! So yay I have a whole week off from Sunday, so yay a week of writing time!**_

_**Read and review please!**_

_**Maddy: lol I've written 2 more chaps after this 118, and 119 are jsut Carmwen and Flack, working things through I hope!**_

_**Soccer: Thanks for the review.**_

_**Sparky: lol she is sticking around as you can ell. I'm writing Cory and Flack on the plane in 120 at the min so yay it's going far!**_


	118. Chapter 118: Open

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

_This is the way you left me_

_I'm not pretending_

_No hope, no love, no happy ending_

_No Happy Ending_

_This is he way we love_

_Like it's forever_

_Then the rest of our lives_

_But not together_

_Mika – Happy Ending_

Going back to the apartment was depressing. I'd wanted to stay at the Crime Lab getting to grips with things for tomorrow but Mac had ordered me to come home after informing me this was likely to be the last full night's worth of sleep I was going to be getting this week. Being Head of the Crime Lab would be taking up all of my attention whatever hour of he day it was. Staff rota shad already been drawn up, sand by and on call procedures to run through. We were prepared for anything and everything that could happen. Mac always said it was best to have a contingency plan.

I dumped he pizza onto the kitchen table, before depositing my bag on the sofa along with my jacket. With no one else residing here I could get away with doing things like that.

The apartment was quiet, the silence resonated through the room as I stood in the kitchen simply staring at the photograph on th mantle piece.

The wedding picture.

Me in the long white Georgie designed dress, and Flack in his dress blues, arms wrapped around me, his lips inches from mine. I was supposed to have been happy then, but the truth was the second the wedding was over I was relieved.

There was a heavy thud on the door, I jumped out of my skin, averting my eyes from the picture guiltily as if being caught.

I took a deep breath, giving a shaky laugh to dispel the tension that wrought my body before stepping up to the door. I peered through the peep hole before opening the door a crack to confront my visitor.

"Hey." I said quietly raising my eyes to meet his as he titled his head down towards me.

"Hey." Flack muttered. "Can I?" he gestured towards the door.

I opened it wider allowing him access before closing it behind him.

"When I left that message I meant tomorrow or something. You didn't have to come rushing over here." I told him, watching as he took in the apartment.

"You were right we need to talk." he said, finally turning to face me.

His expression was guarded, hiding his true feels so all I could see was the blank, hardened mask he usually reserved for interrogations. I was tired, too tired to be putting up barriers and defenses to fight this out with him.

"You may as well take a seat." I offered, before drifting towards the kettle, flicking it on and getting out two mugs.

"I won't be staying." he told me, his tone sos cod it caused my whole body to shiver.

I glanced at him over my shoulder, meeting his gaze evenly.

"Then you don't have to drink it." I shrugged, putting the components together into the two mugs.

He was silent as I stirred in the hot water and added he milk, I pushed the mug towards him before opening the pizza box and taking a slice.

"Help yourself." I uttered.

"I'm not..." his stomach betrayed him as the whiff of pizza drifted up his nostrils.

I smirked as he pursed his lips together, angry that he had been caught out.

"Just stop making this so hard for your self and eat it." I said, shoving the pizza box towards him.

Flack let out a deep sigh before giving in and taking a slice. I knew the second it touched his lips he'd severely needed substance.

"So we need to talk." I broached the subject.

Flack chomped for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak.

"I need you to take Thomas this week."

I stared at him dumbfounded.

"Your kidding me right? your supposed to have him because I have to take Mac's place while he's in Paris." I reminded him almost shrilly.

Flack took a swig of coffee before facing me again.

"Carmen I have to go to Texas for a few days, maybe longer to put Papa Messer into Witness Protection."

"And you have to do it this week right now? Why do you even have to go? Why can't Cory do it, or someone else form the NYPD." I replied, shaking my head.

"Because the only person I trust right now to escort him there from the NYPD is me." Flack told me, leaning forward so I could see the seriousness in his expression.

"I am on call for the whole week, what am I supposed to do? I can't leave him here alone and I can't take him with me." I implored.

"Carmen I need to do this." Flack stated.

I leaned back shaking my head.

"It's the same old thing still isn't Don? Something that you need to do. Never mind I have a Crime Lab to run."

"Well, I can't take him to Texas, what if something happens out there?" he pointed out.

He had me, he had well and truly fucked me over. He knew there wasn't a chance in hell I would let Thomas go along with him.

"I hate you." I snapped. "I hate the fact you've managed to back me into a corner again."

Flack's face twisted into a dark smile.

"Remember all those times you did it to me? All those times you left me hanging? Well this is what it feels like Princess. Get used to it." he snarled.

"You are such an asshole." I spat.

"One you married unwillingly apparently." he shot at me.

"Were you gonna mention the transfer by the way? Or were you just gonna let me know after you took our son to some tiny town in New York state?"

The color drained from Flack's face as I spoke, and at that moment I knew that this had been so much more than just an option.

"Gus found it by the way, I take it she doesn't know about our separation since she barged into MY office to day to bitch at ME about the fact YOU had decided that YOU were going to move to another town." I informed him.

"Well with you rushing into danger at every available chance I figured I had to make sure that he would have at least one parent left at the end of it all." Flack stated calmly.

"You complete bastard." I growled.

"You know I always wondered why you did it? I guess I know now, you couldn't stand the idea of being married to me." he told me.

"That was not it." I protested.

"It certainly seemed like it." he snorted, sipping his coffee.

"There was always the greater good. I always knew that you'd be able to handle it if something happened, and that you'd take care of things." I told him, feeling the words spilling out of my heart.

"That was never true, you don't get it it... A break up's one thing but having you die on me... That would have killed me Carmen. That have ruined not just me but your son as well, but you never thought about that. You were selfish and arrogant."

I raked my hand through my hair, feeling the words hit me, each one like a blow to the chest.

"Your right." I confessed. "I'm an awful person and I got what I deserved. I get an empty apartment to come home to. I get to sleep in a bed that's too big for me. I get to see your face every day and wonder how this has happened, and every time I think about it it all just comes back to the same thing." I murmured, peering at him from between my fingers.

"Me. This whole mess is my fault, and I am so sorry that this is happening, but I can't seem to stop it." I blinked away tears as turning my face away.

"You need to stop doing this. You need to stop thinking about yourself so god damn much and think about other people. You should have thought about me. You should have thought about how I feel hearing those words, hearing that you didn't want to marry me." he hesitated. "That broke me Carmen. Knowing that the last four years had been nothing to you."

"It meant the world to me Don, I just never showed it. I didn't want the husband but I waned you. I always wanted you. I always loved you. I didn't want to break your heart back then. And now... Now that's all I've done. I can't ask you to forgive me for that." I told him.

"No you can't." he told me shaking his head. "You can't expect anything from me. Not anymore."

He rose to his feet, I followed suit, he paused before he reached the door as I spoke.

"Are you really going to move out of the city?" I asked.

"I don't know." he responded.

"You'd be giving up your dream, following your father's footsteps." I said softly.

"Yea, but Thomas deserves to have at least one of us still standing." he replied, his ass resting on the back of the couch.

I took a deep breath before doing the same keeping a little distance between us.

"Don... I'm leaving CSI."

Flack's head snapped up, his eyes searching mine intently.

"Columbia offered me a teaching position. I thought it was time to get out of the cop game. There's too many uncertainties, and I think it's time I out Thomas first for once..." I hesitated. "Don't transfer, stay here in New York City. Keep doing what you love doing. Let me have a chance to be the good parent for once."

We both smiled at the old joke before, he glanced up at me meeting my eyes.

"Your sure?" he questioned.

"Yea it's time for me to retire the badge. I have this feeling right here in my gut that tells me that now I the right time." I told him hand resting on my stomach. "It's time to get my shit together. I've lost my way a little bit."

Flack let go of the huge breath he'd been holding, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yea you have.."

He looked troubled.

"It'll be fine." I tried to reassure him, clasping his shoulder.

"I wish it was fine. I had papers drawn up and ready to sign, but now..." he exhaled deeply. "Now I just don't know."

"Think about it." I offered. "Think about what you really want, I'm not going anywhere Don. Either way I'm here to stay."

He nodded, jutting his jaw out in a stubborn gesture.

"I'll guess I'll be seeing you." he said opening the door and lingering in the door way.

"Yea you will." and with that I waved him goodbye, waiting until he was put of sight to make sure the door was firmly shut and bolted.

* * *

_**Hey Peeps, I know a few bomb shells were dropped here so let e know what you think!**_

_Flack fan: To be honest I wasn't sure if they could hence the hiatus, but now I feel like I can see a way out! Thanks for the review._

_Soccer: Thanks for sticking with me and the review._

_Maddy: lol that's what I thought but as it turns out I'm going to be pretty busy over the next week. Lol I have no idea where this is heading!_

_Delko's Girl: lol All I can say is thank you!!!! You've made me blush with your kind words. I'm glad you like these stories and it really means something that you think that I write them well!_

_BEG: lol I always like to think that Mac knows what's going on in the lab! Lol that's exactly the issue! Lol I feel sorry for both Cory and Taylor too!_

_Sparky: lol I forgot which of the visions we had done! I'm trying to get back to basics lol. Lol we shall see about the C/F, let me know what you think and OM13 onwards!_


	119. Chapter 119: Talking

Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen

_We all begin with good intent  
Love was raw and young  
We believed that we could change ourselves  
The past could be undone  
But we carry on our backs the burden  
Time always reveals  
The lonely light of morning  
The wound that would not heal  
It's the bitter taste of losing everything  
That I have held so dear. _

_Sarah McLachlan - Fallen_

The diner was a regular spot I used to venture before the issues had begun between me and Don, or I should say we used to venture. It was a block away from the station house and made the best pancakes and scrambled eggs in town. The best part about the place was the fact it gave discount to cops.

It was seven am, on Monday morning, the diner was quiet as I sipped from my steaming hot coffee cup, whilst flicking through the paper and awaiting my order. I had two hours before I was officially integrated into the role of Head of the Crime Lab and my nerves had settled down.

I glanced up as the bell for the door jangled through the empty diner, holding my hand up to Flack so he could see where I was. He was dressed in hip hugging denim jeans, a navy blue, figure clinging teeshirt. His dark hair flopped over his forehead, signaling that he was long past due his usual hair cut. His sculpted cheeks were clean shaven, and as he drifted past me I could smell the scent of soap and cleanliness clinging to his skin.

He set the overnight bag down in the furthest corner of the booth before sliding in across from me, his hand automatically going for the menu.

"You ordered?" he asked skimming the words.

"Yea," I responded, sipping my coffee to mask my observation of him.

The waitress appeared next to our table, a young blond thing, whose wonder bra was a notch to tight for her cup size. Flack read out his order, same as he always had. He slipped the menu back into the plastic slot before finally turning his attention to the way my hands were clasped together.

"So what's the plan?" he asked.

"Well day care was an option but they close at six." Flack nodded his acknowledgment of this as the waitress returned with his coffee.

Miffy, as I had now mentally deemed the waitress lingered at his side for a moment, their arms brushing as she bent over allowing the two of us to get more than a quick glance of her cleavage. I tilted my head towards Flack, keeping the snarl I was about to unleash under wraps by biting my lower lip.

He simply rolled his eyes and gave me a "can you believe this?" expression. It took a full moment of Miffy cleaning our table before she realized that she was severely lacking the attention she was after. I shot her a dirty look as she raised her eyebrows and moved away to refill someone else's coffee.

"So the plan?" Flack reminded me, using his hands to gesture.

I tore my glare away from Miffy to focus on him.

"Oh yea, Taylor." I mentioned distractedly as Don took a sip form his coffee.

"What the hell..." he spluttered, spitting his coffee back into his cup, his cornflower blue eyes fixed on me. "Are you insane?"

"I thought it would be good practice." I shrugged as Miffy returned with our food orders.

"Good practice for what?" Flack exclaimed quizzically. "The woman can barely toast bread and you want to trust her with our four year old son. Remember what he did to Sam?!"

"Sam was inexperienced," I replied, picking up my knife and fork to dig into my pancakes.

"Taylor's inexperienced," he shot back.

I nodded my agreement before pointing the fork at him to empathize.

"But Matt is not."

It was Flack's turn to pull a face.

"He's taken a week of days to spend some time with Taylor. I promise it'll be fine," I told him, swigging from my coffee.

"And they know the rules right?" Flack asked me, still clearly concerned.

"I have told them of your regime and they are cool with it." I informed him.

"It's not a regime, and trust me he needs the discipline." Flack assured me taking a bite out of the bacon he had ordered.

"He's not that bad," I retorted.

Flack's gaze was still on his plate as he continued chewing. There was something amiss. Something in the way he avoided my gaze, I set my knife and fork down on the table.

"You are hiding something," I stated, narrowing my eyes.

"He's been getting into a few fights at school." Flack pushed his food around his plate. "That's why he has a regime, it's better now, since..." he trailed off.

"Since you left?" I finished.

Flack nodded.

I sat there dumbfounded, wondering how I never knew what was happening right underneath my nose.

"Wow, I suck as a mom." the words left my mouth as I sunk into the back of the booth.

"Nah, you were just preoccupied," he said, frowning.

I ran my hand through my hair wondering how it had come to this.

"Are you serious about leaving CSI?" Don asked me, finally looking up.

"I accepted the job at Columbia yesterday," I reassured him. "It starts September, term time, but I figure if I hand in my notice after this week, I have money to live off and I get to spend a little time with Thomas."

Relief flooded his handsome features as the tension rolled out of his body.

"Good, I got rid of the transfer form this morning, and I broke the news to Gus. She's apparently gonna be your guardian angel this week while I'm gone," he told me with a smirk.

"At least there's not gonna be that whole awkward out of the city commute now," I said with a small smile.

Flack shrugged.

"I would have been nice to move out to the suburbs," he commented, ducking his head. "I kinda had a place lined up but then... it doesn't matter anyhow." he waved his hand dismissively.

"You did?" I asked surprised.

He shrugged.

"One of he guy's I used to work with has a house out there. He's selling up and moving to Florida. He offered the place to me at a bargain price." he clenched his jaw as he studied his hands, his left finger I noticed still holding his wedding ring. "We could have afforded it."

"'Maybe you still can." I offered, unsure of what to say.

My chest was physically hurting at the information he was putting down in front of me. I'd had my head in the sand so long, I hadn't realized that anything had been going on. Flack shook his head.

"Na, it was something I wanted for the both of us." he said pushing his plate away, half the food untouched, before checking his watch.

"I better get going," he muttered.

I threw some bills on the table as the two of us rose to our feet, scooting to the outside of the booth. Flack was reaching for his overnight bag as I stood along side him.

"You'll be careful right?" I questioned, feeling the ball of dread in the pit of my stomach.

Flack was standing close to me, his bag clasped in one hand.

"Have I ever not been careful?" he reminded me.

"No," I responded begrudgingly.

He leaned in a little, a smile across his features as he rolled his eyes.

"Then stop worrying," he teased.

"I can't help it. You're going to Texas to hide a member of the Mafia, it's scary," I reminded him.

"And you're running the Crime Lab, should I be warning you about letting your self into certain dangerous situations?" he asked suddenly serious.

"I told you, I'm through with that." I pointed out. "I will be as safe as hell, especially with Thomas around. Trust me Don, I wouldn't screw this up not after all the damage I've caused already," I said bowing my head.

"It's nice to hear you admit that," he informed me.

I turned my face away ashamed, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks.

"I gotta..." he murmured, his body close to mine as I fiddled with my wedding ring, head bowed.

"Yea me too, I have this team briefing thing..."

"Carmen," he spoke my name softly, it seemed strange to hear it from his lips.

I raised my gaze to meet, my own lips pursed together.

"Hm?"

"Take care of yourself. I wanna come back and find you still standing," he told me, his hands resting on my shoulders now.

It took every ounce of willpower not to step forward and embrace him.

"I promise," I murmured, getting lost in his eyes.

"I really have gotta go," he muttered almost reluctantly.

"I know," I whispered as the two of us stepped back awkwardly.

"So I'll see you at some point to pick up Thomas," he said as we lingered by the booth.

"Yea, I guess. Just give me a call." I nodded before the two of us went silent.

"Actually I think I'll stay, have another coffee." I gestured back to the table.

"Great, well I'm gonna hail a cab, so bye I guess," he said drifting towards the door.

I responded with a small wave as I slid back behind the booth, the jingle of the bells reassured me that he had well and truly left the building.

_**The song I picked for this chapter is one of my all time favorites, it deserves a listen. Anyway peps. I'm wrecked (tired) at the min so I will make this quick. Thankies to Sparky for being a wonderful beta!**_

_Maddy: lol the muse does it all herself. I could not see a way out for them and then suddenly they started being nice to each other! I'm as surprised as you are lol. I think it's realistic that these probs exist._

_Delko's: Thankies!_

_Soccer: Thank you! Lol Neither can I!_

_Ax: lo that really meant a lot, hearing how you love this story. Lol They do it to themselves! I love reading your reviews they make me laugh. Lol and Tay provides me with endless laughs, thanks for lending her to me. I love her and Matt._


	120. Chapter 120: Leaving On A Jet Plane

One Hundred and Twenty

_But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn  
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn  
Already I'm so lonesome I could die  
_

_'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
Oh, babe, I hate to go  
_

_Chantal Kreviazuk - Leaving on a jet plane_

The ride was bumpy. Turbulence had caught hold of the plane and they'd spent the last ten minutes being jolted around in their seats. Flack ground his teeth as his hands clasped the arm rests tightly. Beside him Papa Messer, bruises and all, looked as if he was relaxing comfortably in his seat. Cory had the aisle and seemed to be responding in a similar manner to Flack as the plane jerked beneath them.

Cory caught his eye and grimaced, she'd known this flight was going to be anything but smooth, and it didn't help that Flack had been surprisingly withdrawn since they'd met him at the airport. She guessed that Carmen had been less than happy about the timing of all this.

Cory sighed as the turbulence began to even out again. Things weren't going well between her and Danny at the moment either. After his attempt at a make up meal the other day which had been thwarted by his own father, Danny had become distant. After Cory had announced their plan for Witness Protection. Cory hadn't been able to get hold of him on his cell over the past few days and the one day they did meet up, he was surly and agitated, looking like he'd rather be elsewhere. Cory had cut the date short, and the two of them had gone back to their separate apartments alone.

She decided they probably need some space to sort through their feelings. She knew Danny had felt like she had betrayed him over the identity of his mother but she knew at the time it had been for his own good. Cory rested her head against the headrest, looking up at the ceiling of the plane.

Flack on the other hand was staring out of the window, his thoughts everywhere. There was a sensation of dread in his stomach, something he couldn't put his finger on. It didn't feel right being on this plane. He should be at home back in New York, for some reason he felt strongly about that. He wasn't sure why.

Despite the fact he disliked Matt, he knew the other man would look after his child, so it wasn't Thomas he was concerned abut, although he missed the little boy fiercely. It was he first time he'd been away from his son for this period of time and it was causing a dull ache in his chest.

He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache brewing . It was Carmen, he knew it was. Despite her words it wasn't in her nature to be passive, she responded with instincts and gut feeling instead of with her head. Flack took a deep breath. He missed her, he missed her so badly if felt like someone had used an ice cream scoop on his insides. Just seeing her over the past few days had made him wan to destroy the papers that he'd locked in the top of his desk drawer. He was confused.

He knew that he had enough of the fights, and the elephant that used to stand in the room between them. Now he knew what it was he wasn't sure there was a way to combat it. Even if they got back together it didn't change the fact that she still did not want to be married to him. Marriage had been a big thing to him, and in those months surrounding the proposal, things had been dark. He'd already known from the fact she'd needed more time; that she hadn't waned to commit that way. He'd blinded himself with hope and determination and in the end it came to this.

Even though he blamed her, he knew it wasn't really just her fault. It was his as well, for not seeing it sooner. They would have been fine without the marriage, he was sure of it.

He slumped back in his seat, glancing out of the window and watching the clouds. He wondered what she was doing right now but he already knew the answer. A team briefing.

Could he trust what he said about quitting CSI? The whole time he' known her all she never waned was o be a cop. Was I that easy to turn against the job?

Yet he remembered, he'd already seen her burning out. Angell's death had taken a toll on her he hadn't realized until she'd sunk into that depressive state. He knew how easy it was to get there, and find hope at the bottom of a bottle. He didn't wish that for her. He was glad she was taking this job teaching. She would enjoy it he thought.

He remembered how stupid he'd been back then, sitting in the car with Danny, telling him he didn't think Carmen would want him anymore if she wasn't a cop. It was bullshit. She was giving up the career, so she could out her family first and he still cared about her. He still wanted to brush the hair away from her features as she slept he still wanted to feel his body against her as they danced. He wanted to see her happy again.

Could they be happy together?

He exhaled deeply as the pilot announced their descent. He'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

The office was too big. Everywhere I looked there was what I had affectionately termed as Mac memorabilia. Pictures of him and Stella, reminiscences of his Marine days, all sorts of bits and pieces that made up Mac. I shuffled the papers in front of me, chewing on the end of the pen I'd begun writing with.

Don was on a plane right now to Dallas...

Even though he was only going to be gone a few days I missed him. Even when we were separated there was solace in the fact we were in the same city. What if he met some cowgirl over there? I rolled my eyes inwardly, I needed to get a grip. Texas was a bustling and busy state, no some isolated countryside the way I was thinking.

The solid knock to the door jerked me out of my thoughts as Danny opened the door without waiting for my answer. His features were sullen, his expression one of supreme trepidation as I indicated for him to sit down.

It was his first day back at work today and I was glad to have him as my second, my Stella as it were. Except he wasn't his bright and humorous self. He looked deep in thought constantly, which led me to ask him the next question.

"What's on your mind?" I asked clicking my pen between my fingers.

"Carmen I need a favor," he said dourly.

"Of course, what do you need?" I asked concerned.

"I need you to go over the evidence from my mom's case."

I blinked at him surprised, a smile tugged at my lips.

"Sorry, I think I totally misheard you," I said rubbing my temples.

"I want you to check out my mom's case. They've missed something," he repeated.

"You remember who they are right?" I reminded him. "You're talking about Mac, Don and Cory."

Danny clasped his hands together, meeting my gaze.

"I'm saying they missed something. I looked through the case file and I'm telling you something doesn't feel right. There's unidentified Trace, a finger print on the gun with no known matches. I think Cory just wanted to wrap it up and lose the key." Danny explained.

"Danny you're talking about our friends, our partners...What they did was based on your father's testimony," I pointed out.

"I'm saying they put too much on that. They expect her to be guilty," he persisted.

"What brought this up? What changed your mind and make you consider this? You were all ready to lock the cell and throw away the key last time we spoke," I reminded him.

Danny ran his hands through his hair before clearing his throat.

"I went to see her."

I raised my eyebrows as he looked away.

"And she told you she wasn't guilty?"

Danny nodded.

"And you believed her," I stated calmly.

Danny sighed.

"I'm torn, I don't want to but the things she said...Carmen they were real and I really feel that this case needs another look," he pleaded.

I tapped the pen on the desk thoughtfully. The Trace was bothering me along with that little unidentified fingerprint. My gaze went past Danny and lingered on something beyond the window. I was up out of my seat in seconds and heading for the door.

"Hey we're still talking here..." I blocked Danny out, striding directly towards the sound of raised voices echoing through the lab.

My hand went to my gun, a reassuring presence as I shoved the door open to the AV Lab. No one else had noticed the fray yet but they were about to.

Zack Tanner had three inches on Adam and he was a damn sight more muscled. His fists were twisted in the labels of Adam's shirt as he snarled at him.

Adam shoved Zach away from him, the other man surprised by Adam's ferocity reeled backwards, his ass banging against the computer desk.

"Tell me where she is," Zack growled as he recovered.

Adam wiped the blood from his nose as he stared at the other man breathless. His expression was one of rage.

"Over my dead body you fucking scum..."Adam retorted, as Zach clenched his fists.

"I'll kill you Ross, if you don't tell me where your sister is I will tear your fucking head off," Zach threatened, reaching for Adam.

"Stay right where you are, Tanner," I responded stepping between the two men.

A cruel smirk twisted across his masculine features as he stared down at me. I knew what he was seeing, a little girl against this bull of a man, but I had a trick up my sleeve, I just had to play it right.

"You gonna stop me huh, cutie?" he sneered, his hand getting a tight grip on my arm.

My hand was on his wrist within a second, twisting it backwards and forcing up to put more pressure on it.

"You really don't wanna do that Zach," I remarked, as he winced.

I released his wrist before taking step back along side Adam.

"I want you out of my lab, Sam isn't here and no one here will tell you where she is," I informed him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"She took my money," he snapped. "She fucking left me at the altar. Everyone was there and the bitch didn't show up."

"Payback's a bitch, huh?" I commented with a shrug.

Zach caught the satisfied smirk on my face, he started to quiver. I clenched my jaw watching his muscles bulge.

"I think you talked her into it. This is your fault!" he yelled, jabbing me in the chest with his finger. "You damn well need to fix it."

I raised my eyebrows, before narrowing my eyes.

"I don't have to do anything Zach. After what you did, you're lucky I'm not locking your ass up. I've seen the picture and read the reports. I bet it makes you feel like a big man slapping around women. I bet it was your daddy that started it; he beat the shit out of you after too many drinks. Then late at night he'd climb into bed along side you and..."

The slap turned my head; the pain erupted in my cheek as the noise reverberated through the lab followed by a collective gasp from the crowd that had drawn in closer to watch the sparks fly. Plenty of witnesses to the crime.

I pressed the back of my hand to my cheek as I spoke, twisting my head back to look at Zack.

"Book him for assaulting a police officer."

"My pleasure," Danny said, already cuffing Zack and reading him his rights.

It wasn't until him and another CSI had manhandled Zach out of the AV Lab, and the crowd has disbursed that I turned to Adam. I dropped down into the empty seat, massaging my face. Hawkes was checking the younger CSI over. Adam was holding his nose and tipping his head back to stop the bleeding.

"He didn't hit me, I just get nose bleeds when I'm stressed," he informed me through the tissue as he stared at the ceiling.

"I know," I responded, rubbing at my own jaw with the palm of my hand.

"Which is why she made him hit her," Danny spoke from the doorway.

I glanced at him, narrowing my eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaned in the door frame. He had an ice pack tucked under one arm, I nodded at it pointedly.

"That would be a really dangerous and stupid thing to do especially if you know what a temper Zack as," Hawkes remarked his eyes on me now, studying me curiously.

"You saw the files," I reminded him.

Danny tossed me the icepack, I caught it easily and I clasped it to my cheek.

"She knew we had her back," he told Sheldon calmly.

Danny, I knew would be the one to understand my motives. I knew he wouldn't step in until I needed him too. That was the thing about Danny, we were pretty much in tune professionally.

"It puts him away for a little while," I told the group. "That gives Sam a little time to figure out what's next."

Adam tipped his head forward, bloody tissue hanging out of his nose. I cracked a smile at the sight of him.

"You didn't have to do that, Carmen," Adam mumbled.

"I wanted to, but trust me I won't be doing it again," I informed him, trying to rotate my jaw to ease the pain. "I'm surprised my head didn't swivel on the spot."

"I'll let Sam know what's going on," Hawkes said, toying with the ring on his finger anxiously.

Adam stared at it before pulling the tissue out of his nose and sniffing.

"It's weird to think that you're my brother in law now," he said, shaking his head.

"The bottle of champagne was a nice gift Adam, thank you," Hawkes remarked.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it..." Adam responded apologetically.

"We understood. I know what it's like around here at the minute," Hawkes told him with a warm smile.

Danny tilted his head to me.

"Looks like you and me are the only two bachelors left around here, Devine," he commented quietly.

I bowed my head, nodding with a small smile as he spoke. I raised my eyes to see Adam and Hawkes staring at me shocked.

"It's an amicable separation," I informed them, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"How long..." Hawkes trailed off.

"About a month." I responded. "I couldn't talk about it, and now... Well now I can."

"Are you guys getting divorced?" Adam asked in a small voice.

Danny's hand clasped my shoulder, a show of support.

"We don't know yet. When this week's over I'm sure we'll get a chance to sit down and talk about it," I answered, feeling comforted by their presence.

"If you need anything…" Hawkes began, his chocolate eyes sincere

"I swear I will call one of you," I finished, rising to my feet before retreating to my office, Danny dogging my heels.

"The file?" he questioned as I slid behind the desk, still cupping the ice pack to my cheek.

"Tim Speedle's the best Trace Expert in the country. I need you to send it over to him in Jersey so he can take a look at it. If Mac couldn't identify the mystery Trace then I doubt we will." I stated. "Get Adam to run the fingerprint through AFIS just in case something's come up in the last few days. I need you to stay away from this Danny."

I looked up as I spoke meeting his eyes. He held his hands up.

"I won't touch it, I swear," he beamed at me.

"Don and Cory are gonna kill us you know," I commented as he lingered in the doorway.

"Does that really make a difference to the two of us?" he questioned before shrugging his shoulders and disappearing into the lab.

I had to admit, Danny had a good point.

_**I know it's been a while peeps but I suddenly have plans for this! Let me know what you think and special thanks to Sparky.**_

_Ax: lol I was totally afraid to address it! But I'm glad I did. I think they needed to do it. lol don't we all want some Danny loving lol._

_Delko's Girl: Thank you!_

_Sparky: Thank you so much for betaing. AFter this weekend I am a little more free._

_Maddy: lol you'll have to wait and see. I like the fact that Gus is like that!_

_Soccer: You'll have to wait and see._

_Jo: lol I hope it._

_Witch: lol your review made me so happy! Thank you so much. You'll have to wait and see what happens, just like the rest of us._


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